Nurse-Patient ratios

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Sep 7, 2018

Hi, can't help as worked home health... have you seen previous post responses? :

What is the Registered Nurse Patient Ratio at your hospital?

What is the nurse-patient ratio where you work?

Mandated Nurse-Patient Ratios

mtmkjr, BSN · Sep 7, 2018

ICU? Med-Surg? LTC?

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Sep 7, 2018

one patient is ideal :yes:

Sour Lemon · Sep 7, 2018

it depends entirely on the patient(s) and their needs. Ive had med/surge patients that I forget about because their needs are so minor. I could take 20 of those and still have a good night. Other patients are way too much to handle, even on their own.

in general, 3-4 seems to be a good number. That's what my my employer typically assigns to me and its usually okay. Simetimes I have five, and that's usually okay, too.

FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN · Sep 8, 2018

When I worked inpatient psych I was comfortable with up to 7. I usually had more than that.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Sep 9, 2018

CA law won't let me have more than 6 patients. Otherwise, I'd say 8 is a the upper limit of comfort for me (though like the previous poster, I've had more than that when I lived outside of CA). But it depends on the acuity of the patient(s) as well as the milieu as a whole, since the milieu can directly affect a patient.

FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2018

CA law won't let me have more than 6 patients. Otherwise, I'd say 8 is a the upper limit of comfort for me (though like the previous poster, I've had more than that when I lived outside of CA). But it depends on the acuity of the patient(s) as well as the milieu as a whole, since the milieu can directly affect a patient.

I love that you can't have more than 6. There was only one time when I had only 6 adults. I remember thinking how much better the care would be if it was always like that.

Once I was charge nurse with a load of 14 children, and I was the only nurse on the unit. That was a very bad day and a holiday to boot, with low staff overall. No nurse manager anywhere. If something went wrong, I was the one to solve it. No one above me in the whole hospital. And I was a new grad with 6 months of experience. I think I did pretty well considering what I went through. And at least I was paid well.

On the adult unit I frequently had 10 or 11 and once in a while 12 or 13, but at least there was a charge nurse who didn't have a load and would handle restraints for us. On the child unit I had no unit secretary, a ton of paperwork, I had to answer doors and phones on top of all my other duties. Of course I had to document restraints, IMs, holds. It was plainly ridiculous.

I work in the community now and it's completely different. Patient load is not a thing I stress about. I may need to go back to the hospital eventually though, to accommodate my school schedule when I get my NP. Patient load will be my first question. I would not go back to the hospital I formerly worked in.