Labor pt. to nurse ration

[IndyGypsyNurse, BSN, RN]

Hey everyone,

I am wanting to know how many labor patients you manage at once. I am orienting to LDRP (I have done ER since 2005 and always wanted to do OB) and at this hospital they only do one labor patient at a time, you might have one low maintence PP pt. as well if your pt. is in the early stage of labor. I have a friend who has done LD since 2005 at a different hospital and she does two labor pt. at once and said she would be bored with one!! The nurses at my hospital seem to think that it is way too much to handle and dangerous to have more than one pt. My whole point is that I eventually want to travel nurse in this specialty and would like to know what most do in different parts of the country/different hospitals so I know what I need to be gettting used to and how I need to aim at being trained. Any and all info would be great!

Thanks!!!

[Nicky30, BSN, RN]

Generally one on one (hopefully two nurses if you can find a free one or a student at the crucial point).

There was one particular night where it was two labouring women to a nurse but that was extremely unusual.

Cheers,

Nicky.

[babyktchr, BSN, RN]

If you are lucky and have staffing for a one to one ratio for laboring patients...HOOORAY for you. AWHONN standards, however, dictate that labor ratio is 2:1. Second stage is 1:1.

[jenrninmi, MSN, RN]

We always do 1:1 where I work.

[eandgsma]

2:1 in early labor (ie - early inductions are paired), once they hit active labor its 1:1 most of the time. There have been times when its so busy you are praying that one of them doesn't have to push, but that's rare. It's always nice to have a baby nurse too.