Nurse:Patient Ratio on Med-Surg Floors?

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I just interviewed at a couple of hospitals in Southeast Michigan for med-surg floors and the Nurse:Pt ratio is 1:6 and up for day shift with 1:8 not being abnormal. Is this standard here? It sounds so high compared to Chicago where and 1:4 is standard with 1:5 being the max. Can anyone comment on this for Beaumont RO & Troy, St. Johns, DMC, Henry Ford? Thanks!

At my hospital Pawtucket Memorial the most is 1:6 with an aid or if the census is low and no one will take AET (approved excused time) you can get a 3 patient assignment alone (no aid).( we are in Rhode Island)

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Can anyone who works in SE Michigan comment on the nurse pt ratio's at Beaumont Royal Oak or Troy? Thanks!

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Specializes in Oncology.
In Florida it is 1:6 or 1:8 on night shift and 1:8 or 1:10 on days

We only work like that with 1:8 ratio on night shift if we're in crisis state! Yikes!

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Can anyone who works in SE Michigan comment on the nurse pt ratio's at Beaumont Royal Oak or Troy? Thanks!

I did a clinical at Troy on a med/surg floor and I think it was around 5-6 patients (we were on 3-11 shift)

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Thank you Corazon, that's super helpful!

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I have worked at hospitals in the very area you are referring to. 6 pt is the norm. 8 on day shift is high unless you have Lpn or cna/nurse tech working with you.

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Thank you for your feedback Kcam, I felt like 8 seemed high...

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Initially our med/surg norms were 1:6 plus 1-4 team leads. Then it went 1:5. Currently if a nurse is assigned even 1 telemetry pt, then the ratio for that nurse is 1:4.

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Beaumont RO- 1:7 or even 1:8-9 if low staffed, which has been the case with so many people transferring or leaving.

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