how many patients do you have

PhillyKidRN · Jul 29, 2006

I worked in long term care as an CNA and it was awful. I started off working day shifts, but the other aides were sticking me with 16 patients to have up, washed, and dressed before 8 AM. They would get really upset with me when I wouldn't have everyone done by breakfast. So I switched to night shift. During nights there was only 1 other aide working so we split the floor (22 patients each). This was way too many patients. I would finish one set of round in time to start the next set. I ended up quitting there after 6 months b/c I felt I wasn't respected by my coworkers and I was beign put in situations where I was being set up to fail despite multiple meetings with upper management about the situation. I switched to a rehab hospital and that was much better. Depending on the census, each aide would have maybe 11 patients max, but the RNs and LPNs were more than willing to help out. It was a much better environment. I found that the CNA:pt ratio isn't nearly as important as the willingness of everyone to work together. Good Luck and be willing to be a change agent in your institution if you aren't happy.

Cindy_RN · Jul 31, 2006

I would love to have 16 patients. I worked third and have a max of 50 in a LTC facility and I feel like TX don't always get done because we have too many pts! Realistically I think you guys are right I know nights can handle more but still during the day 10 to 16 would be great and nights about 20 to 25 would be perfect! When you get these huge work loads that how errors get made and tx's get skipped.

I know how that is. Im in the ER and we have 20-25 on an average day seen as many as 42 for 1 nurse and you just do one thing at a time and take as many short cuts as possible and you dont talk to patients. You tell them what your gonna do it do it and leave the room and probably dont seen them again till another order is written for them.

SaraO'Hara · Aug 7, 2006

I usually have 16 patients/residents.I am really getting burned out.I just dont have enough hands or time to get things done.I was just wondering what everyones load is.I work at a nursing home.

Holy malarky. I work in a nursing home, day shift, and I usually have 8-10, which is difficult enough *hugs*

However, I'm pretty new to the facility, and the older aides tend to stick me and other students with really crappy runs -eg, several showers before lunch, 3 room feeders, combative patients, demanding patients. It's very annoying to see a group of aides standing around laughing it up with a full linen cart while some of us are running from one rezzy to another and having trouble finding ONE washcloth.

Mountain Woman · Aug 12, 2006

I work in a nursing home and have between 9-13 patients a day on first shift. That's not counting all the ones that aren't mine, that I help out with!! We have 1 nurse to answer to.

dayse · Aug 19, 2006

i work at nursing home in north florida, i feel the same away my friend, i have 18 pts sometimes 20 pts ,plus get ups,plus duties, now they put all the cnas 3 shift for wash 2 - 4 wheelchair a night, i could not wash my wheelchairs last wed night because no quimicos and crazy night, call lights every 2 minutes, result the nurses wrote me up for insubordination because i did not wash 2 wheel chair and the nurse director suspend me for 2 days.When gonna change that ! is too much!

nrstob08 · Aug 19, 2006

i work the 6am - 2pm shift and sometimes the 3pm-11pm shift, usually i get to work with 8-10 residents. It does get really crazy especially in the morning when everyone wants to get up and get dressed at the same time.

If i am really busy i usually ask for help from one of the aides on the floor especially when it comes to lifting people. I am not messing up my back!!!

gretchengirl · Aug 24, 2006

I have usually 8 pts a day and drive anywhere from 100 to 150 miles a day.

lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN · Aug 27, 2006

Holy malarky. I work in a nursing home, day shift, and I usually have 8-10, which is difficult enough *hugs*
However, I'm pretty new to the facility, and the older aides tend to stick me and other students with really crappy runs -eg, several showers before lunch, 3 room feeders, combative patients, demanding patients. It's very annoying to see a group of aides standing around laughing it up with a full linen cart while some of us are running from one rezzy to another and having trouble finding ONE washcloth.

Dude, call those aides on that crap. I'm an "older" aide, and wouldn't dream of treating my coworkers that way, especially since the residents suffer under conditions like this.

GeminiTwinRN, BSN · Aug 27, 2006

up to 18

helpingismypassion · Aug 30, 2006

hey i have had worked in places where i had 15 pts during the day its hard to give proper care like this but it has to be done.

Yarra · Sep 2, 2006

I work noc at local hospital. 50 bed med/surg, mostly elderly awaiting LTC admission, or there from LTC for surgery. I would say 75% Elderly/LTC/HH and 25% middle age surgical pts.

We have two aids at night. So one aid to 25 pts. Sometimes, if we are lucky, they will call in an agency aid when we have a full floor. All total care and NPO baths are done then. vitals q4h, i's and o's. Room Maint. ie: Trash, all linens, sharps containers, etc. That's the schedualed stuff. You would THINK that people would sleep at night, but NO! Call lights work just as well at 3am as they do at 3pm!

lol

dragonflyaltoids · Sep 9, 2006

I work on a PCU floor and the ratio is supposed to be 1 tech to 18 pts. at max. However when a tech doesn't show or there is no one there to float to our floor I'll have all of them. That means that I do 2 pts vitals per nurse, all the finger sticks, and pt care only on the ones that are total care. However, nurses will run all over you and talk bad about you behind your back- but I'm in RN school and one day I will appreciate someone that works as hard as I do!