World International
Published Feb 3, 2003
Just want to get a feel for everyones view on nurse/ patient ratios...
Do you have them?
Are they working for you?
What are your ratios?
Just wondering guys... about here and abroad...
Victoria has them.... and wasn't that a bloody long fight!
But what about the other states? And other countries?
Is it true that California have them....
frannybee
267 Posts
Here in Swansea we don't have them except for ITU, HDU and CCU. Wish they did sometimes, I ended up 18:1 on Friday!
Tookie
469 Posts
Yes we have them - they are better at the oment in Vic than other areas to my knowledge - however - the ratios in aged care are just woeful but please dont get me dtrted l could well become very despondant and drink yet more
sehbear
64 Posts
Eat Drink and Be Merry I say!
Unfortunately, drinking and discussing Aged Care nursing ratios will never end in merriment
No I do understand that frannybee....
Really it is a situation that is not a laughing matter at all.
I suppose in Vic. we are just very lucky in the acute setting, and have so quickly forgotten how bad it really is!
Keep up the good work....
Grace Oz
1,294 Posts
In S.A. it's variable. Mostly 6:1 in the acute sector I find. As for aged care.... I just shake my head sadly & sigh. The only difference between our dear elderly folk & us, is; they got there before us!! Our turn will come & may god help us!!
Cheers,
Grace
susanmary
656 Posts
There have been many posts on nurse/ratios -- do a search on this bulletin board. A more pertinent question might be "does your facility take acuity into account when determining nurse/patient ratios?" I'm guessing the answer would be an overwhelming NO. I work part-time, charge nurse, med/surg/tele, with 6 patients on either day/evening shift.
pfongk
140 Posts
currently where I am in an aged care facility it is
RN AIN PCA (personal care assistant)
AM 2 8 2-3
PM 2 8 2-3
nights 1 3 0
This is for 110 residents of which there are 39 in low care (where I work) and the rest in high care.
The RNs are constant and the the AINs and PCAs vary on the time of the shift.
It's confusing but I can do the actual roster if you want.
nyapa, RN
995 Posts
18:1? No assistance at all? Thats disgusting, and unsafe.
bronween
11 Posts
up here in QLD, or at my work anyway we allocate our patients according to how many "hours" of time their care requires. Generally an AM shift will mean 4-5 patients, a PM shift is closer to 6 and a night.. well tonight i have 8
i worked at a nursing home through uni and an AM shift meant 7 patients, PM was 11 and night meant the whole area.
fejao
20 Posts
Well I am qualifyed 17 months and I walked into the nightshift recently with a ward of 30 patients and two emergencies waiting to be seen and the other nurse was not trained in the speciality, whom was pulled off the nurse bank. My ward covers patient care for this speciality almost the whole of Scotland and we can admit emergencies at any time. So due to breaks and covering other wards breaks the patient ratio was 1:30 for almost 6 hours of the night. Normally its 1:15 on the nightshift and this is totally normal and legal. On the dayshift its 1:7.5 and an auxillary shared between two nurses.
Fejao