Nurse:Patient Ratios

[MrsBradyMom]

I'll be graduating from PN school in 1 week and I've been offered a job in LTC. Dayshift, skilled unit, ratio is 30:1.

How bad is this?

[Finally2008]

Are you serious? My mother was in an acute skilled nursing rehab after her hip replacement and she still needed almost full-time care from the nurse and the CNAs. The LPN who was handling her care had 27 patients one day and she looked like she was going to lose it. I also have to say that my mother almost died at this same facility due to the fact that the nurses, for 3 days, failed to give her her 3 blood pressure medications and she ended up with congestive heart failure and had to return to the hospital for 9 days. So, my answer is yes, that is way too much. I personally would never even consider it. I think I'll work at Starbucks before I put myself in that kind of position.....

[gardenpartyy]

Starting out, that's a horrible idea-especially a SKILLEd unit. If you have never worked at this place before(say..as a CNA), I would not recommend it fresh out of school. Only take what you believe you can handle and always stand your ground. Because once you're on the clock and something happens to one of your residents because your pt/nurse ratio is too high, that's on you-no one else.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

That sounds horrid. If you spent 10 minutes with every pt......you would see 6 pts per hour........and it would take you 5 hours to see every patient and maybe do a quick assessment.....think about that for a minute!!!!!!