How many patients?

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Hello all,

I am currently an aide on a telemetry unit and when I graduate in May I am hoping to work on the med surge unit in my hospital. I did a clinical rotation there and one of the nurses there told me she usually gets 5 patients. I would like to hear from other RN's how many patients they usually take care of. Five seems like a low number from posts I have been reading.

Thanks to all who respond

Specializes in LTC, Sub-Acute, Med-Surg.

My unit holds 50 beds, 24 in the north side and 26 in the south. Staffing has been better lately where we have 5 RNs on each side with either 3 PCAs or 2 PCAs and a LPN who can assist with the med pass. When it's like this you may have 5-6 pts Now I won't lie, there have been days when we are SHORT..coming in at 7a w/ 8pts. And like I have always said it's not the number is the acuity. I have had 5pts and was running all day long and have had 8 where it's not too bad. It all depends on what is going on.

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The Med/Surg floor that I will be interviewing on has an average of 8 patients. You also have an LPN and an aide. But, I have heard that sometimes they have ended up having 12 which would scare the heck out of me!! Hopefully as a new grad that won't happen for a long time.

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Specializes in Med/surg.

WOW I work 2nd shift and we have up to 6 pt at most but usually anywhere between 3-5 depending on the census. sometimes we have a sec. but we also employ 1 LPN and RN are in charge of covering her Pt taki ng orders calling doc's pushing IV meds. We are trying out the unassigned charge vs- an extra aid (some nights we only have one aid to 30pt, pretty tough for her) My personal choice would be an extra aid

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Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.

I work evenings (3-11) on med surg/tele floor. Usually have 7-8 patients.

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Specializes in Med/surg, pediatrics, gi, gu,stepdown un.

:heartbeat I think having more than 5 patients on any shift is too much. You have to consider the acuity of the patients, which unfortunately that does not matter to the administration.Why have a charge nurse if she doesn't take patients or help other nurses?:nurse:

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Specializes in Med/surg, pediatrics, gi, gu,stepdown un.

I am afraid it will happen. The nursing shortage is happening very quickly.

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Hello all,

I am currently an aide on a telemetry unit and when I graduate in May I am hoping to work on the med surge unit in my hospital. I did a clinical rotation there and one of the nurses there told me she usually gets 5 patients. I would like to hear from other RN's how many patients they usually take care of. Five seems like a low number from posts I have been reading.

Thanks to all who respond

I work on a busy med/surg floor as an LPN. We average 6 to 7 pts. If I have high accuity, I will sometimes refuse my 7th. 6 is too much most times. We have an average of 2 new post ops coming in for each nurse every day except weekends. PCA pumps, q15 vitals, set ups incentive spirometers, walking TMJ's. It all can be very daunting and exhausting.

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Specializes in LTC, Sub-Acute, Med-Surg.

On my unit at times the charge nurse has a "full assignmen" (6-8) people depending on staffing, and sometimes she may even be precepting someone. Now that is CRAZY!! I have to say thought things have been getting a little bit better lately.

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Staffing is the same on my floor, night or day.

We have either 3-4 pts (usually start with 3, increase to four with an admit) if we don't have an aide working with us--called TPC (total pt care).

If the RN is teamed with an aide, then those two have usually 6-8 pts (usually start with 6, then increase to 7 or 8 throughout shift with admits).

I can't imagine taking care of 6+ pts with no help from an aide! That is crazy!

My floor is a medical floor, 48 bed with average census of around 30, in a 150 bed community hospital.

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Specializes in LTC, Sub-Acute, Med-Surg.

I totally agree, but unfortunately w/ administration they don't look at the type of pts they look at the census and then will tell you how many"staff members you are alotted" for a certain number.

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Wow! I can't believe the ratios out there. I have worked at two hospitals (tele and med-surg) and the ratio has always been 4/1 on days, and 4 to 5/1 on nights. At my current hospital, they DO take acuites into account and because of that we are getting another CNA at night.

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Wow! I can't believe the ratios out there. I have worked at two hospitals (tele and med-surg) and the ratio has always been 4/1 on days, and 4 to 5/1 on nights. At my current hospital, they DO take acuites into account and because of that we are getting another CNA at night.

This is Florida. If you want to live in the sunshine, you have to pay the price.

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