Is this common ?

[Fancy Face]

42 patients on the unit, my responsibilities are meds, treatments and tube feeds, trach cares and of course charting. Is this too much, or normal ratio nurse/patient?

[catlynLPN]

If it's long term care and you're an LPN it seems about average, but you might be getting off light.

Usually that nurse also has the responsibility of calling the doctor and family and doing the doctor's orders.

[Fancy Face]

Yes, this is LTC, and I am also responsible for calling families when necessary, and MDs orders. Also, CNA assignments/problems. Did you say this is LIGHT?

[catlynLPN]

Yes, this is LTC, and I am also responsible for calling families when necessary, and MDs orders. Also, CNA assignments/problems. Did you say this is LIGHT?

These weren't listed in your original post. I said it might be light without these you now say are also your duties.

I was thinking, from the first post you might be getting help with calls to the doctor and families, and orders, but apparently not.

But all of it, both posts, seems about average.

[NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN]

I had 38. I was lucky. I had a friend who had 54. Needless to say neither of us work in LTC anymore. It was worth the paycut!

Good luck & hang in there.

[LesMonsterRN, ADN, RN]

I currently have 30 with a high acuity level. Since I pass my own meds I do nothing but run my backside off from the time I come on to the time I leave. And I do have good time-management skills. 42 seems like a ginormous load to me.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I have had up to 33 low-acuity, very traditional LTC patients. It was very manageable.

I now have only 15 higher-acuity rehab LTC patients, and I feel as if I'm going berserk.

[crissrn27, RN]

32 was the most I ever had while doing LTC, and that was PLENTY! I have seen other places with loads of 40-50 pt, and that just seems to be too much.

[Simplepleasures]

I have had up to 33 low-acuity, very traditional LTC patients. It was very manageable.

I now have only 15 higher-acuity rehab LTC patients, and I feel as if I'm going berserk.

I agree, its very much based on acuity.LTC needs state or federally mandated nurse/ patient ratios, just like hospitals, think it will ever happen?

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

if it ever does ltc is in trouble. there will never be enough nurses to cover that. however, if by the slim margin it does happen that is just job security for the lvn's and we can stop talking about this move to phase of the lvn/pn or even better make the bsn entry level... now that i am done with my pms episode ...i digress

i agree, its very much based on acuity.ltc needs state or federally mandated nurse/ patient ratios, just like hospitals, think it will ever happen?

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

42 patients on the unit, my responsibilities are meds, treatments and tube feeds, trach cares and of course charting. Is this too much, or normal ratio nurse/patient?

Pretty much run of the norm. Welcome to the wonderful world of long-term care. You really learn to multi-task and organize when you work in this venue.

[weirdRN, RN]

As an RN, I had 1 LPN and 9 CNA's to 60 residents. The LPN and I divided the residents for tx, meds and charting and orders and so on , but I was ultimately responsible for everything the LPN did. I was forced to resign when one of the residents developed a stage four decubitus ulcer on her ankle because she was not being turned and repositioned and the buck's traction she was in was not properly cared for. I was the sacrifical nurse in that case. I was blamed. The huge load was way overwhelming.

Will I go back to Long Term Care? Most likely Not.