what is your nurse to patient ratio?

susi_q · Apr 5, 2006

You mean besides quit? Just kidding. We have the same ratios ... fortunately we almost always have one tech for every 2 nurses ... and most of our techs are either medics or LPNs ... so that helps. Beyond that ... pray for wisdom, ask for help, remember ABCs ...the one yelling loudest doesnt need help with airway now, do they? Get your charge nurse involved ... get other nurses that might not have such an acute load to at least try to help with your "easier" interventions ... and then give yourself a break, as long as you did your best.

medic2bsn · Apr 6, 2006

4 to 1 ratio? 2 techs per Nurse? Where are you guys at? I am new in the ER, been a medic for 12 years, but that isn't helping me right now. I feel like I forget everything when I walk in the door. I get so stressed out...I literally hate it. Our ratio can be 7:1. Front is 7 to 1. Middle is 4 to 1, those are trauma and the back 7 to 1. Very little extra help. I made the wrong career change!

Anyone have words of encouragement?

kat911 · Apr 6, 2006

4 to 1 ratio? 2 techs per Nurse? Where are you guys at? I am new in the ER, been a medic for 12 years, but that isn't helping me right now. I feel like I forget everything when I walk in the door. I get so stressed out...I literally hate it. My ratio...7 to 1 and no help. You have the charge nurse who puts someone in a room and their out, filling up another room. Seriously....our er is broke down into the front, middle and back. Front is 7 to 1. Middle is 4 to 1, those are trauma and the back 7 to 1. Very little extra help. I made the wrong career change!
Anyone have words of encouragement?

You just need to find a better ER. Come to Texas, we have lots of choices. :lol2: 7:1 is ridiculous. No wonder you are stressed out. Get out before you burn out.

FroggysMom · Apr 6, 2006

In our ED we generally have a 4 to 1 ratio (sometimes 5-1) We have few techs or CNA's.
How do you handle your four patients when one is has a hgb of 6 and is agitated and trying to get out of bed, one is in SVT, one has a blood sugar of 40 and the mother of the 14 year old pregnant girl is demanding more pain medication because she is nauseated.
Seriously, what do you do in this situation?

Sometimes it "feels" like a million to one. But usually its 5 to one days, 6 to one evenings (hospital). Most always all are acutely ill - the ratios even though they seem small in number can be overwhelming if all of them are having serious problems that shift.

EDValerieRN, ASN, RN · Apr 6, 2006

3:1 in our ED, with no techs. We do have nurses that float around the dept and help most days, so that's nice when you have a sick one come in.

In our fast track and non-monitored rooms it's 4:1, but it's easily done. Trauma is one pt, two nurses at first, and then 1:1.

andhow5, BSN, RN · Apr 6, 2006

I was promised 3-to-1. I frequently get up to 8-12, all monitored, 2 of those being trauma rooms, and NO techs to help.

lillarn · Apr 8, 2006

ours is 6 to 4 to 1 before 9 or 11 am, then 4 to 1, no floats except for someone to give us our 30" lunch. our techs--2 or three for our whole er, twenty beds, always full, high acuity, not much trauma. do i need to mention no breaks? some of the techs work, some of them prefer not to and let you know it. the ones that don't work stay, the ones that do work last six months or so then see the light and move on.

FreshRN05 · Apr 8, 2006

in my home unit (ER overflow with tele), we have 5:1 (sometimes with tech depending on our unit census)...when I float to other floors, it's 10:1 (non tele) with an LVN and a tech; 8:1 (tele) with an LVN and a Tech who is nowhere to be found.....

RNCENCCRNNREMTP · Apr 9, 2006

I have had 12:1 before, and no, that is not fast track. Real ER with real sick patients.

Faeriewand, ASN, RN · Apr 9, 2006

What do the techs in the ED do? Are they CNA's? What's their job/responsiblities? Just wondering becuase there is an opening in Emergency where I am for a person with CNA training so the job description goes.

mom23RN · Apr 16, 2006

What some of you are describing is terrifying!!!!! I wish someone would do an expose on some of these hospitals! :angryfire

Our ER where I worked (still have friends there) is usually 3:1 from 11A to 11P and then 4-5:1 (that's 4-5 rooms - not always full) for the other times. We have a float nurse or two during really busy times and the charge nurse is expected to help with traumas/codes/etc.

And..... there are times when I thought those assignements were tough. :uhoh21: