new grad starting icu step down unit

[trekjudy]

I have read the thread about new grads entering ICU without any med/surg exp. But what about starting out on an ICU step down unit? I was a nursing assistant for 7 years and the last year in ICU as an aide.

I was offered a job in the ICU step down unit and this hospital only allows you to have 2 pts at the most, very rare to have 3 pts.

But I have an interview with another hospital stepdown unit and was told you get 4-5 pts. Is this safe or unheard of? How many pts should a stepdown icu NURSE EXPECT TO GET?

Any thoughts or experiences are welcomed:smilecoffeecup:

[smile123]

I have read the thread about new grads entering ICU without any med/surg exp. But what about starting out on an ICU step down unit? I was a nursing assistant for 7 years and the last year in ICU as an aide.

I was offered a job in the ICU step down unit and this hospital only allows you to have 2 pts at the most, very rare to have 3 pts.

But I have an interview with another hospital stepdown unit and was told you get 4-5 pts. Is this safe or unheard of? How many pts should a stepdown icu NURSE EXPECT TO GET?

Any thoughts or experiences are welcomed:smilecoffeecup:

I think it depends on the state and the hospital. Step down is also called transitional care or intermediate care. I work on a blended unit in California and we have 3 or 4 patients/RN. If the acuity level is high, then we would have 3 patients. If it is lower, we would take 4 patients. At night time, the nurses take 5 patients. These are considered safe ratios for California. Hope that helps.

[meandragonbrett]

I was offered a job in the ICU step down unit and this hospital only allows you to have 2 pts at the most, very rare to have 3 pts.

But I have an interview with another hospital stepdown unit and was told you get 4-5 pts. Is this safe or unheard of? How many pts should a stepdown icu NURSE EXPECT TO GET?

:smilecoffeecup:

2 patients is standard ICU staffing. It just does not seem logistically possible to have these ratios on a step-down unit. At those ratios a 30 bed ICUSD would require 15 RNs to staff the unit.

4-6 sounds more like typical ICUSD staffing.

[cmp715]

trekjudy -

i'm a new grad in a subICU (step down) in California. i work nights and we usually have 3 pts, but it can happen that we're assigned 4 although that's rare from what i've heard.

best of luck in finding a good place to work at!

[GeminiTwinRN, BSN]

I'm a new grad (dec 2006) on an ICU step down unit as well. I work noc shift, we typically have 4 pts, with one or two taking on 5 pts. I'm very surprised at the 2 pt assignment you describe! I'd say if that's the ratio, go for it!