Nurse to Patient Ratio is obsolete???

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I've been a nurse since 1992, but I also was in and out of the workforce until the last 5 years I began working full time again. in 1994 as a LVN I fell into LTC and love it, now being full time I've have worked LTC Rehab area, and enjoyed it. I moved to MS a year ago and found it is not like my home state, and LVNs are nothing more than pill pushers and bed pan emptiers in the LTC industry. I currently work at a facility that has 120 beds, and on my unit I have 34 patents on average working 7p to 7 a. I made some calls to find out what are of any ratios here in MS, called the state long term care hotline ,which referred me to the main MS ombudsman, and he told me he didn't know but to call back the B of LTC and ask them!!!! I have a couple of friends that are nurses as well and they tell me there is no longer nurse to pt ratios, I've never worked anywhere in the last 5 years and had so many patients. I have decided to start looking for another job but am told it's standard in MS for nurses to have 28 pts and no charge nurse. MS apparently does not have MCNAs and requires their LPN/LVN to pass all meds. LPNs apparently are very limited here on what they can do... my question is where are the laws to protect the nurse in the number of pts they can have? I'm thinking of trying contract travel positions, but with no backup on the patient to nurse ratio what would I be walking into???Any feedback would be appreciated!

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

There are no laws that cover patient ratios with the exception of acute care (hospitals) in CA, and MA has rules about critical care. Some states have ambiguous language about staffing committees or require public disclosure. Even federal regulations are ambiguous:

A Federal regulation has been in place for some time, 42 Code of Federal Regulations (42CFR 482.23(b) which requires hospitals certified to participate in Medicare to "have adequate numbers of licensed registered nurses, licensed practical (vocational) nurses, and other personnel to provide nursing care to all patients as needed".
which does nothing to define adequate.

Nurse Staffing

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This thread should be moved to LTC; LTACH is not the same as LTC/SNF/Rehab/Nursing Homes.

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Specializes in GENERAL.
There are no laws that cover patient ratios with the exception of acute care (hospitals) in CA, and MA has rules about critical care. Some states have ambiguous language about staffing committees or require public disclosure. Even federal regulations are ambiguous: which does nothing to define adequate.

Nurse Staffing

Gee thanks ANA. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

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There is a Facebook group devoted to this issue

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

To answer your question, the laws on ratios are in California. Sad but true.

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