nurse patient ratio..

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  1. What do you think?

    • 2
      Safe?
    • 11
      Unsafe?
    • 3
      Patiet First?
    • 1
      Budget First?

17 members have participated

:o I am a nurse here in Lawton Oklahoma. I work on a med surge floor where our nurse patient ratio is really unreal. 1 LPN has up to 12 patients at any given time. 1 RN has up to 24 patients. Now is that safe. Well if you think it is WOW. It is not like we are doing total patient care, thanks to the CNA's. But it is very stressful at times. We can have a patient with MRSA, Bacterial Meningitis, Pneumonia, And a neutropenic all at one time. On top of that we have to admit, and discharge. I am really uncomfortable with this situation and i have spoke to my supervisor about it and there is nothing to do about it she says. I have spoke with my co-workers about it and they too are uncomfortable. But living in the hole in the wall here, we too need to have a job. I really cant wait to have my year here that will be very soon, so I can go else where. The magnet hospitals, or the new nurse patient ratio should be nation wide. They want to say patient first but they overload us with patients. They are not looking at the patient they are looking at BUDGET. And thats crap because we too pay medicare, and social security. And people pay insurance too. So , I had to voice it somehow. Anyway. tomorrow is a better day. though we dont know, whether it will come but thank god when it comes. Hopefully someone will tell me what the safe amount of patient one lpn is by policies, or law, we are to have. Thank you for reading this..
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We have Nurse/patient ratio's here and the government is trying very hard to have this recinded. It is currently part of our award conditions but the government says they are too generous. 5 nurses for every 20 acute patients. This may seem a fair number but if you take into account tea and meal breaks and escorting patients for x-rays etc. it is not overly generous. If you have a minor disaster it can effect every ones patient care. Good luck if you get set ratio's but be prepared to fight to keep them.

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Taking care of up to 24 patients on a med/surg floor is insane! That is the whole floor. Are you serious? Get out of there and get out fast!!! You should not go over six, seven max. Oh my God, that is crazy.

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I agree that it is insane to take up to 24 patients. (My staff thought they had it bad.) We are also a med/surg unit. We hold 28-29 patients and if the floor is full we usually staff with 3 RNs, 3 LPNs, and 2-3 CNAs. We also have either and RN or LPN as a "desk nurse", and they are responsible for taking off all the orders and discharging patients. (The desk nurse position saves us). You need to seriously look at getting into a safer environment. Good Luck

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
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Specializes in Geriatrics/Oncology/Psych/College Health.
Originally posted by 3rdShiftGuy

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

What he said. That's freakin' INSANE.

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Hmm. Are you saying in a 24 bed team, you would have 1 RN and 2 LPN's...plus assistants? I ask because this would make a ratio of 8 pts to each nurse,(if the RN takes an assignment of her own that is) Do you have CNA's for each nurse? This ratio (1 to 8) would be doable IF your CNA was excellent and your very own.

I've worked tele units that function this way...I had 7 pts BUT my very own assistant. And two of us working together could make it work. I've done this with up to 10 patients but this was in a lower acuity unit. The acuity of the patients make or break things.

My medsurg unit has just gone back to an acuity system, thankfully, because all the nurses were leaving due to overwork. Things are better now that acuity is looked at again. :cool:

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Hmm. Are you saying in a 24 bed team, you would have 1 RN and 2 LPN's...plus assistants? I ask because this would make a ratio of 8 pts to each nurse,(if the RN takes an assignment of her own that is) Do you have CNA's for each nurse? This ratio (1 to 8) would be doable IF your CNA was excellent and your very own.

I've worked tele units that function this way...I had 7 pts BUT my very own assistant. And two of us working together could make it work. I've done this with up to 10 patients but this was in a lower acuity unit. The acuity of the patients make or break things.

My medsurg unit has just gone back to an acuity system, thankfully, because all the nurses were leaving due to overwork. Things are better now that acuity is looked at again. :cool:

.......So you have an acuity system? How about you send me a sample of the tool used on your unit? I would so much appreciate it as I am currently heading a task force to develop such a tool. thanks :balloons:
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I don't care how many assistants you have, that's freekin nuts:uhoh3: Get out of there as fast as your legs can carry you, cuz you'll be the one taking the fall.:o

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

is that safe? the answer is NO, not by a LONG shot. it's beyond dangerous.

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I finally got my reprieve from my horrible working conditions, with a new job offer this week that i accepted. You to need to think long and hard about your situation and do what is best for yourself, because ultimately its you behind and license on the line. Days our staffing is usually 2RNS take assignment, another RN who sort of acts as charge, 1LPN to give meds accepted for IVP and either a mix of lpn's and aids for pt care NIGHTS you have at least one RN, 1 LPN and a tech(aid) now how is that right. sometimes the second RN was me but as of next week, no more :balloons: glad to get out of there with my license. Somedays are good I can handle 8-10 pts in fairly good conditon. I have had as many as 16 and that is just plain crazy and to me scary for pt and myself.

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the job I am leaving this Friday, I am the only nurse for 30 pts. Oh...and they are on two different floors...13 on one, 17 on the other. this is unreal if you ask me.

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