nurse-patient ratio

HappyNurse2005, RN · Sep 7, 2005

I work on a cardiac surgery PCU, 7a-7p shift. HAVING 4 pt's is the usual thing, occasionally will have only 3 or have 5. Of course, that is at once. When you have discharges, then admits, it adds up. but never more htan 5 at a time.

BUT, they are mostly people who need quite a bit of care. our floor is set up to have 2 vent patients. have pts on cardizem, heparin, dopamine drips. 1 day post op from a CABG or valve surgery. chest tubes, blakes, foleys, trachs, external pacers, etc.

night shift has more, 6 pt's usually.

grinnurse, RN · Sep 7, 2005

I work Med-Surge 7a-7p and my pt load is usually between 5-7. Some of the night nurses have 7-10 by the end of their shifts. I wish that Texas had regulations and limits. I work for a company called Resurgence, and they are working the nurses as well as other staff to death. This company sucks, they own nursing homes somewhere else and are trying to run it like that. I am trying to stick out 6 months for experience then I am moving on!!

dlhommer · Sep 7, 2005

Hello all..I work at a hospital in Minnesota on nights and we usually have around 4-5 patients at once and can have up to 6 max depending on acuity of the patients but the max is 6 for each nurse. I can't even imagin having more than that....I don't even think it's safe.

Deb

dawn1rhino · Sep 7, 2005

Hello all..I work at a hospital in Minnesota on nights and we usually have around 4-5 patients at once and can have up to 6 max depending on acuity of the patients but the max is 6 for each nurse. I can't even imagin having more than that....I don't even think it's safe.
Deb

Minnesota you said?

Unsafe is my concern! I graduated in May so I've only been a RN for three months and WHOA -

it has only happened once so far but in one 12 hour shift I had to do 11 assessments and care plans!! The most I had at one time was 9 but what snowed me under was all the assessment and paperwork - if I could just carry around a video camera and make the tape part of the medical file then I would actually have time for patient contact and education!!!!!

ggfifirn05 · Sep 8, 2005

I left my 1st job out of school about 8 weeks ago (after 6 months) because I had at least 6, and up to 8, patients for the 7a-7p shift, on a busy Med-Surg unit that was also the Infectious Disease unit (meaning contact / airborne / droplet isolation for each of the 24 patients). When it was beginning to look like it was going to be 8 per shift on a regular basis, I complained to my nurse mgr, who told me, "Get used to it..." Well, instead of getting used to it, my reaction was to get a new job, closer to home, more $, and best of all, lower nurse-patient ratios: now I normally have 4, maybe 5 at most, per shift. However, the acuities are higher (it seems like it, anyway) but I am in a much better place, and have the time to LEARN now. I'm very glad I made the change!

christvs, DNP, RN, NP · Sep 8, 2005

Hi! I'm on a med/surg/tele unit in Mass. We have team nursing on my unit, so each team of 1 RN & 1 LPN can have up to 10 patients. So then each RN & each LPN take 5 pts. each, with the RN also doing IV pushes, initial assessments of ER pts, & other things the LPN can't do. So on my unit, we have 5 each at the most. Of course since I'm on orientation, they want me to practice with 6 to see how it goes! It's getting better with time...

-Christine

dlhommer · Sep 8, 2005

Minnesota you said?
Unsafe is my concern! I graduated in May so I've only been a RN for three months and WHOA -
it has only happened once so far but in one 12 hour shift I had to do 11 assessments and care plans!! The most I had at one time was 9 but what snowed me under was all the assessment and paperwork - if I could just carry around a video camera and make the tape part of the medical file then I would actually have time for patient contact and education!!!!!

the video camera sounds like a grand idea, then you wouldn't have to worry about losing your "brain" aka clip board.... what is the patient ratio on your unit during the 7am-7pm shifts???

Fairemaid · Sep 8, 2005

I am a new grad training on a med-surg/ isolation floor that only has ten beds in single patient rooms. (Half the ward is closed because of construction, but when it reopens in 2006 it will have 35 beds). We never have more than 5 pts each for 2 RNs. I am on my 8th week of orientation and I am getting along well with my preceptor. I had 4 patients this week :uhoh3: I don't know the ratios in other wards because I don't work in them. I work in MA.

Rebecca RN

SherBearRN · Sep 8, 2005

I work 7p - 7a, and the ratios on my floor are anywhere from 10-15 patients! I work on a busy ortho/trauma med/surg floor. I actually started out two nights ago with 7 patients and finished the shift with 10. It was a busy night! One patient's BP was sky high, an intracranial bleed pt transferrred from ICU that needed Mannitol, a pt w/ a blood sugar of 26, everyone wanted pain meds, I had a strict hourly I/O pt...the list goes on! I prayed no one would die on me b/c I had not been in their rooms for several hours. It's bad! I wish ratios were 1:5 like they are in California. I've decided I need to make the move to Cali to save my license and sanity! Hopefully I will be out there within a couple of months.

dawn1rhino · Sep 8, 2005

the video camera sounds like a grand idea, then you wouldn't have to worry about losing your "brain" aka clip board.... what is the patient ratio on your unit during the 7am-7pm shifts???

Usually 5, don't think I've seen more than 7 for the am shift

dlhommer · Sep 8, 2005

wow that is still a lot of patients for a day shift. I guess I won't complain about having 6 on nights. day shift can only have a max of 4. I am sure your time management skills are great to have that many patients. yikes