Nurse to patient ratios and job stress

cpillow · Feb 5, 2006

1. ICU

2. C. Nights

3. 2:1

4. B. on days only

5. no ratio assigned

6. not in the ICU

7. 1 - never

8. 1

9. California State law prohibits assigning more than two critical patients to an ICU nurse

Interesting survey - betchya most of the answers won't be like mine. State ratios are VERY different in other states!!!!

KaroSnowQueen, RN · Feb 5, 2006

survey regarding job stress

1. What department/setting do you work in?

Med-Surg Telemetry (the most stepped down of the step down units)

2. What shift do you work?

a. Days

3. What is the typical nurse to patient ratio in your department?

7 patients to 1 nurse.

Management says thats a rarity but they're full of crap. Happens five days out of seven at minimum.

4. Does your department employ CNAs and/or LPNs?

We have CNA's and LPN's.

If your department does employ CNAs or LPNs, what is the CNA/LPN to nurse ratio?

Our LPNs function just like the RNs with a few small duty differences.

We usually have 5 to 6 nurses (RNs and LPNs) to 3 CNAs.

Has the nurse to patio ratio ever caused you to feel stressed?

1 2 3 4 5

(1= Never, 5= Often)

5 OFTEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7. Do patients ever complain to you that they aren’t receiving adequate care/ attention because you are too busy?

1 2 3 4 5

(1= Never, 5= Often)

5 OFTEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8. Do you feel your job satisfaction is adversely affected by staffing ratios?

1 2 3 4 5

(1= Not at all, 5= Often)

5 OFTEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9. What has your management done (if anything) to address staffing ratios?

Not a damned thing but tell us its not a need for more staff, but harder work on the part of the staff that's there. Like we can work harder than we already do without blowing a major gasket?

EmilyCCRN · Feb 6, 2006

Thank you so much for your responses! If anyone else has some time to answer these questions, we would really appreciate it!

nursekelly217 · Feb 6, 2006

1. What department/setting do you work in?

In-patient level 3 drug and alcohol detox -charge nurse (LPN)

2. What shift do you work?

a. Days

3. What is the typical nurse to patient ratio in your department?

Doesn't matter if we're LPN or RN or charge or not... we get up to 20 patients each (even though DPH regs say up to 16 max)

4. Does your department employ CNAs and/or LPNs?

No CNAs, only required to have RNs 1 shift/day and as LPN I routinely take charge

If your department does employ CNAs or LPNs, what is the CNA/LPN to nurse ratio?

See above

Has the nurse to patio ratio ever caused you to feel stressed?

4-5 depends on the patient acuity (medical and/or psych crisis, etc), behaviors, support staff

7. Do patients ever complain to you that they aren't receiving adequate care/ attention because you are too busy?

Patients in detox complain a lot! But seriously, sometimes there is just not enough time in the week, let alone the day, to take care of all the needs of that many patients and admit new patients 24/7.

8. Do you feel your job satisfaction is adversely affected by staffing ratios?

3-4 - my shift goes by VERY fast most of the time

9. What has your management done (if anything) to address staffing ratios?

Not one thing in the year and half I've been there.

nursekelly217 · Feb 6, 2006

1. What department/setting do you work in?

In-patient level 3 drug and alcohol detox -charge nurse (LPN)

2. What shift do you work?

a. Days

3. What is the typical nurse to patient ratio in your department?

Doesn't matter if we're LPN or RN or charge or not... we get up to 20 patients each (even though DPH regs say up to 16 max)

4. Does your department employ CNAs and/or LPNs?

No CNAs, only required to have RNs 1 shift/day and as LPN I routinely take charge

If your department does employ CNAs or LPNs, what is the CNA/LPN to nurse ratio?

See above

Has the nurse to patio ratio ever caused you to feel stressed?

4-5 depends on the patient acuity (medical and/or psych crisis, etc), behaviors, support staff

7. Do patients ever complain to you that they aren't receiving adequate care/ attention because you are too busy?

Patients in detox complain a lot! But seriously, sometimes there is just not enough time in the week, let alone the day, to take care of all the needs of that many patients and admit new patients 24/7.

8. Do you feel your job satisfaction is adversely affected by staffing ratios?

3-4 - my shift goes by VERY fast most of the time

9. What has your management done (if anything) to address staffing ratios?

Not one thing in the year and half I've been there.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Feb 6, 2006

my nursing class is conducting a survey regarding job stress. we would greatly appreciate your response to the following questions.thank you in advance for your time!

1. what department/setting do you work in? acute med/surg/telemetry

2. what shift do you work? days

3. what is the typical nurse to patient ratio in your department? 6:1 nurse max

4. does your department employ cnas and/or lpns? yes both, lpn's do the same job as the rn's with just a few minor differences.

5. if your department does employ cnas or lpns, what is the cna/lpn to nurse ratio?

average for cna's 8:1

lpn's 6:1

6. has the nurse to patio ratio ever caused you to feel stressed? 5+

7. do patients ever complain to you that they aren’t receiving adequate care/ attention because you are too busy? 5

8. do you feel your job satisfaction is adversely affected by staffing ratios? 5

9. what has your management done (if anything) to address staffing ratios?

they try to start us out with 5 patients but it's not always possible. we are never asked to take more than 6 patients. many times when we start with 6 patients it is because one of our nurses is pulled to ccu or to tech. they only assist. we seem help staff them but not visa versa. ccu nurses are not expected to take an assignment because they may get called back. we go, we stay, unless the patients we are assigned to in ccu end up transferring to the floor. i think this situation is a big source of stress.

i'd love to know how this survery turns out, please let us know. thanks.

msrclim · Feb 6, 2006

I was told by a friend who works in California that in that state there is a law/ordinance that limits the nurse to patient to ratio to 5:1. Do you know if any other dtates have a similar ruling?

EMTPTORN · Feb 6, 2006

. What department/setting do you work in?

er

2. What shift do you work?

a. Days

b. Swing

c. Nights

nights

3. What is the typical nurse to patient ratio in your department?

4:1

4. Does your department employ CNAs and/or LPNs?

a. Yes - both

b. CNAs only

c. LPNs only

d. My department does not employee CNAs or LPNs

No to Lpn's and CNA's: we do have EMT's, Paramedics

5. If your department does employ CNAs or LPNs, what is the CNA/LPN to nurse ratio?

6. Has the nurse to patio ratio ever caused you to feel stressed?

1 2 3 4 5

(1= Never, 5= Often)

4

7. Do patients ever complain to you that they aren't receiving adequate care/ attention because you are too busy?

1 2 3 4 5

(1= Never, 5= Often)

4

8. Do you feel your job satisfaction is adversely affected by staffing ratios?

1 2 3 4 5

(1= Not at all, 5= Often)

4

9. What has your management done (if anything) to address staffing ratios?

they try to give us 3:1 when it is slow.

NurseEcho · Feb 6, 2006

my nursing class is conducting a survey regarding job stress. we would greatly appreciate your response to the following questions.
thank you in advance for your time!
1. what department/setting do you work in? ccu
2. what shift do you work?
a. days
b. swing
c. nights
3. what is the typical nurse to patient ratio in your department?
1:2, may be 1:3 if we have stepdown or med-surg overflow
4. does your department employ cnas and/or lpns?
a. yes - both
b. cnas only
c. lpns only
d. my department does not employee cnas or lpns
5. if your department does employ cnas or lpns, what is the cna/lpn to nurse ratio?
6. has the nurse to patio ratio ever caused you to feel stressed?
1 2 3 4 5
(1= never, 5= often)
3, but i am only a couple of weeks off orientation. i think it's a reasonable ratio, i am just still working on time management with critical pts
7. do patients ever complain to you that they aren't receiving adequate care/ attention because you are too busy?
1 2 3 4 5
(1= never, 5= often)
2 - very rarely. staff is very cohesive and when i've been caught up in a crisis situation, other rns will step in to provide care for the more stable pt.
8. do you feel your job satisfaction is adversely affected by staffing ratios?
1 2 3 4 5
(1= not at all, 5= often)
2 - my biggest peeve is use of "in-house agency" people who are allowed to set their own hours. 12-hour shifts are the standard. but if an iha rn chooses to work 1900-0300, someone else has to pick up those two pts for the last four (very busy) hours of the shift.
9. what has your management done (if anything) to address staffing ratios?

it's been a struggle with senior management to post more positions, but my manager has been relentless in pushing for it. we've had 4 new rn hires since thanksgiving. myself included.

i don't understand why the dept has no cna's. seems like it would be more cost-effective to have one around to help with turns, baths, i&o, etc., than having to enlist another rn.

HeatherLPN · Feb 10, 2006

1. what department/setting do you work in? ltc, behavior and rehab wings. prn medpass nurse at an mr/dd group home.

2. what shift do you work?

c. nights

3. what is the typical nurse to patient ratio in your department? 20 clients at the group home, 13-30 in ltc, depending on the wing and the census.

4. does your department employ cnas and/or lpns?

a. yes – both

5. if your department does employ cnas or lpns, what is the cna/lpn to nurse ratio? 3 cna's to 1 nurse until 10p, then 2 cna's from 10p-6a.

6. has the nurse to patio ratio ever caused you to feel stressed?

2 (1= never, 5= often) depends on what all is goign on thru the night, and what cna's i have.

7. do patients ever complain to you that they aren’t receiving adequate care/ attention because you are too busy?

2(1= never, 5= often) again, depends on the night.

8. do you feel your job satisfaction is adversely affected by staffing ratios?

1 (1= not at all, 5= often)

9. what has your management done (if anything) to address staffing ratios? where i work they staff above state standards. if someone calls off, they usually can get cna's to come in and work full or partial shifts. they will even have nurses work as cna's if necessary and if they find nurses that are willing to.

esc_ernurse · Mar 6, 2006

1. what department/setting do you work in? emergency department

2. what shift do you work? i work all of the above - i do agency and prn at a hospital

a. days

b. swing

c. nights

3. what is the typical nurse to patient ratio in your department?

i have had as little as none (waiting on a patient) up to 12 (not good - worse day in nursing yet - these were not clinic patients - these were sick emergency pt's)

4. does your department employ cnas and/or lpns?

a. yes - both

5. if your department does employ cnas or lpns, what is the cna/lpn to nurse ratio?

lpn's work in our rme (rapid medical evaluation area - to get people in and out quick who are not emergencies out of the emergency department) so their ratios are the same as i said above - the cna's are also about the same sometimes a little more

6. has the nurse to patio ratio ever caused you to feel stressed?

5

(1= never, 5= often)

7. do patients ever complain to you that they aren't receiving adequate care/ attention because you are too busy?

5 (i have even seen a person who was at an emergency department for something that was not an emergency get mad because we went in to work on someone who was a code (no pulse no breathing) and said "i don't care i was here first"

(1= never, 5= often)

8. do you feel your job satisfaction is adversely affected by staffing ratios?

5

(1= not at all, 5= often)

9. what has your management done (if anything) to address staffing ratios?

i work at many hospitals through the agency and i also work prn at one hospital it doesn't matter where you work the problems are all the same and i haven't seen management do anything but have meetings and ask if we have any suggestions (yeah hire some more staff and treat us well to keep them) and they change hours around and the way the flow of the department goes but never do anything to solve the problem - just more meetings more changes (which are pointless and do not fix the problem) and then they build more hospital but still not enough staff to take care of what we already have - you can't just ignore a problem as serious as our healthcare system is and hope that it resolves itself because it will just keeping getting worse - good luck with school - i hope i did not discourage you - i am just being honest - good luck with school - you will always have a job as a nurse :lol2: