nurse to patient ratio

Specialties Med-Surg

Published

I was just curious about the nurse to patient ratios out there, especially for those on night shift. What are your ratios...and do you consider them safe?

Originally posted by newnurse72

ONE NIGHT AN ICU NURSE FLOATED TO OUR UNIT. SHE SAID ALOT OF THE PATIENTS ON OUR UNIT ARE JUST AS SICK AS HER LOAD ON ICU, BUT THEY ONLY HAVE 2-3 PATIENTS EACH.

So true!!!! When I worked nights (not even an entire year ago) I was responsible for up to 12 patients... and yes, some were "ICU Material" except for the fact that they were still breathing on their own.... Transfer them to ICU? Not unless they coded :eek: The patient's often included TPN/PVN (once had 5 of my 8 on the stuff), wound/ostomy care (including deep wounds in need of packing at 2200 and 0600), FS, insulin drips, etoh drips for our DT patients... etc.... The staff on nights for our 41 bed unit was generally 4-5 RNs and 2-3 CNAs.

My day shift assignment is generally 6-7 patients on a 13 bed unit... with another RN and 1 (occasionally 2) CNAs.

It's definitely frustrating and frightening for any Nurse working under the situations being described on this Post.... Solutions...???? Continue to support the Nurse's who are tirelessly out there advocating safer ratios... document, document, DOCUMENT those occasions where staffing is unsafe. Will it change the conditions? Maybe... maybe not... initially. I'd like to say I hope it doesn't lead to deadly mistakes... but we all know that's already occurring in hospitals around the country. Yet the CEO's and powers that be continue to make 6 figure incomes... :confused:

Peace:)

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