How are Inpatient Hospices and Palliative Care Units set up?

[nursesaideBen]

Just curious, because I love taking care of terminal patients and I've wondered for a while how the inpatient hospice settings are set up as in what are your nurse/patient ratios, etc. Any input would be wonderful!

[clemmm78, RN]

We are a stand-alone palliative care, not affiliated with a hospital. We have nine beds. During the day, usually two RNs and an RNA plus volunteers. Here, an RNA can do pretty well anything an RN can do. If the census drops to six or below, one of the staff is cancelled. There is also a nursing director and a Team Leader (RN) who work from about 9 to 5, the TL is three or four days a week.

On evenings, there is one RN, one RNA and a PAB (patient beneficiary attendant, AKA orderly) and a volunteer until about 9 pm or so.

On nights, one RN and one RNA, no volunteers.

That's about it.