How many patients do you have on average?

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Specializes in ER LTC MED SURG CLINICS UROLOGY.

Hey fellow nurses! I've just accepted a job in med surg as an RN. Coming from LTC will definitely be a change of scenery. How many patients do you guys have on a med surg unit assigned to you at any given time? Our max and usual ratio is one RN to six patients on days. This is a general medical floor ( not too many surgical patients). I'm just wondering if this is average, and hoping I will continue to provide very good care like I did in the nursing home. Thanks!

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Specializes in Public Health.

That's our general ratio.

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Specializes in ER LTC MED SURG CLINICS UROLOGY.

Is that manageable?

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normally we have 7. sometimes we are primary on most of our patients (no techs). but we are the night shift. not sure if thats normal?

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Specializes in Palliative Care.

I work nights on a Medical Specialities/Tele unit. We usually have 5 patients, occasionally going up to 6. It's a small hospital so there's no step down or progressive care unit - we handle anything and everything outside of actual ICU patients.

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Specializes in ER LTC MED SURG CLINICS UROLOGY.

Wow. Thanks. I start the new job on June 1st 😁😁😁

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

5-6 on nights, 4-5 on days. PCT'a have 10-12 patients on days and 12 on nights. We are about 70% acute medical and 30% surgical.

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Specializes in Med/surg, Onc.

4 patients on days, 5 on PMs and 6 on nights. Days and PMs we have three aides. Nights have two aides. We have 18 beds on our floor. It's med/surg-oncology.

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Specializes in ER LTC MED SURG CLINICS UROLOGY.

Dang! ThAt is some awesome ratios! 😍😍😍

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Specializes in Med/surg, Onc.
Dang! ThAt is some awesome ratios! ������������������

Lol I am very lucky and really love where I work. I'll be here for a loooong time.

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Specializes in ICU.

Between 4-6 patients usually.

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Specializes in Peds, Neuro, Orthopedics.

Be careful about deciding a good ratio based on numbers alone, OP. A good ratio highly depends on your patients. If they're the sleep-through-the-night type who actually want to heal and live, 6 is fine. If they're sundowning dementia patients or suicide-attempts, 6 is horrid. I speak from neuro experience. There's nothing like trying to take care of a patient who screams all night about how she wants to die, and then you've got 5 others to take care of as well...

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