Nurse: Patient ratios

[PButler]

Hi,

I was wondering what kind of nurse: patient ratios you have in the ICU. Here in NM we try to stick to 2:1 (1:1 for the very ill), but I have also worked in TX where we routinely had 3:1 and in Baltimore where is was even worse! I would love to hear about the staffing in your state and units, especially with such shortages of ICU nurses. Thanks.

[Trauman]

I'm a newly-minted nurse (license arrived in today's mail) and just starting out in the Trauma ICU of a large public hospital in Northern California. Here in the land of fruits and nuts, we have legally mandated nursing ratios. ICUs are 2:1, Transitional Care Units and ED's are 4:1, and Med-Surg is 6:1. From what little I've seen of the acuity of typical ICU patients, anything over 3:1 is lethally insane. If that's what you're getting come to California. We can find you a job.

[nurselily3]

We either had 1:1 or 2:1 in our units. There was talk of making us to 3:1...I think after that rumor got out, management decided not to push the issue. If they had, I'm sure they wouldn't have had any nurses to take the patients.