Nurse to patient ratio?

Specialties Med-Surg

Published

I have not worked med/surg in over 5 years. What is the current nurse to patient ratio for most hospitals? And do you have a nurse tech in these ratios? As a new grad, I was very overwhelmed with 6 patients. I was at a small hospital which so the variety of patient diagnosis could be quite different. Also, sometimes we would have an intermediate care patient thrown in to the mix but still have 6 patients. Looking back I wonder if that was really a big load or was it overwhelming just because I was a new grad?

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Specializes in ED; Med Surg.

We get 4-5 on days, 3 techs for 30 patients. Nights (me) gets 7 patients, 2 techs.

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Night shift, 8 hours 11-730.

I get 6-8 patients. Standard night is 6-7 plus an admission.

Floor maximum is 39 patients. Usually have 30-33.

Usually we have 2 PCA, even if we have 39 patients, 15 total cares.

We will get 3 sometimes if we have a 1:1. Over a year here I haven't seen more than 3 PCA no matter the census or amount of 1:1.

The only thing that gets me frustrated/mad at work is when we have heavy care. We (the nurses) have to do the morning care and sometimes it is very heavy taking at least an hour. It gets in the way of giving meds and calling doctors before they go home and such.

I don't know if it is the same at all hospitals but when I finish heavy care at 0630 and have 30 mins to give meds and the doctors are gone to check out so I can't call them for anything, then I have to give report 0700 to 0730 it makes me hate my job.

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Specializes in Oncology, Ortho/trauma,.

6 patients for day shift is pretty standard. There are some private hospitals that keep their ratios 1:3-4 but most big hospitals do 5-7 day shift. Unless you live in a state where the staffing ratio has to be 1:5 or the hospital faces a monetary fine. being a new grad it is hard to get use to 6, but with time and learning efficiency tricks and developing team work with your co-workers it should become much easier.

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We are in a union where I work..So our ratio on med-surg is 5:1. Day shift is max of 5 pts but if you have a discharge or two, then you may get an admit or two..Same for night shift, but we rarely get any late discharges. The most awesome thing is that if our staffing permits...we also get a resource/break nurse to help out :)

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Typically 4-5 on days + 1-2 techs for 20-24 pts. (high acuity and fall risk pts in the mix)

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Specializes in APRN.

Medical Oncology ... day & eve 1:4-6 with 2-3 tech's and nights 1:8-10 with 1-2 tech's

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Specializes in Medical-surgical telemetry.

On a medical tele diabetic renal floor. Night shift is 5-6 patients per nurse with no CNA.

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On my floor, we get 4-5 patients. And we don't even get a CNA half the time for these total-care / confused patients...

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Specializes in LTC, Clinic, Med/Surg, Ortho.

My old floor was always 5 and most nights a 6th patient too.

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Days - 5 pts with 2-3 NAs for 31 beds

Nights - 5 or 6 pts with 1 NA for 31 beds

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Not sure what the average is but the job I start in Feb is 1:4

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