nurse pt ratio

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I have one semester left to graduate and I would like to start in med surg or ER; however, I want to practice safely. From what I have seen in clinicals- med surg doesn't look like the place to do so, esp for a new grad. Most of the nurses look to be running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Very busy and little time to care for each pt. Sure, they get the meds passed in time and keep their pt's alive, but they are not getting good/thorough care and assessment. You shouldn't have to rush rush rush when you are dealing with people's lives. I feel like it compares to working in a restaurant where you are constantly having to run run run and hopefully remember everything you need to do, if not, hope it isn't too important to the pt's health. So... what is a good nurse-pt ratio on a med surg floor that's conducive to being able to be completely thorough, safe, and caring?

Specializes in Home Health, Geriatrics.

Most home health agencies do not hire new grads. They need at least a year's worth of work in a med-surg unit. New grads just do not have the assessment skills needed to work totally independently. In home health, you are it. You can't stick your head out the door and ask someone else come and look at your patient. Nursing is not easy. It's always going to be hectic and God forbid if you ever use the q word while at work (quiet) because you know what is going to break loose if you say it. Good luck in finding what you want to do.

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My excellent opinion? As a new grad you are accepted into any specialty and they're eager to train you. As time goes on they're not so hot on "transitioning" employees. This from my experience. You can go into any department right now and get hired. If you start medsurg, you'll more than likely stay medsurg and you'll be the headless chicken and burn out. I work there now in CA and we have ratios of 5:1. So management tries to extend profit by loading more requirements: ACLS, chemotherapy, tele certification for example. And as far as you not being alone, remember that employees are good and bad in any job. I haven't seen too many charge nurses willing to help the floor nurse, they spend a lot of time hiding or drinking coffee. And your aide, well, pretty much across the board a nurse's aide isn't going to do much more work than he absolutely has to, to keep a job. So I do agree with the other posters with that, you are it when it comes to nursing so home health isn't the place. Don't be scared of it though, we all get through the first year, the first job. But I will stress: go where you want now because it gets harder to switch after you've started. ICU, ER; it's okay for a new grad, you're eager and you know more book smarts than any working nurse. But medsurg, eh, good place to burn out.

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I think I will give it a shot. I really do desire to see the variety and I like a fast pace. My main concern is not being able to give thorough care and attn to my pts. Prioritizing isnt a prob for me but leaving seemingly less important care out is.

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Look at how much support staff work in the areas you are interested in. A high ratio can be more bearable if you have a nursing assistant to help a patient with the bedpan, a stock clerk to pick up blood, a unit secretary to answer the phone and check new orders, an IV team pagable to start IV's and a charge nurse without a patient assignment to help as needed.

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My excellent opinion? As a new grad you are accepted into any specialty and they're eager to train you. As time goes on they're not so hot on "transitioning" employees. This from my experience. You can go into any department right now and get hired. If you start medsurg, you'll more than likely stay medsurg and you'll be the headless chicken and burn out. I work there now in CA and we have ratios of 5:1. So management tries to extend profit by loading more requirements: ACLS, chemotherapy, tele certification for example. And as far as you not being alone, remember that employees are good and bad in any job. I haven't seen too many charge nurses willing to help the floor nurse, they spend a lot of time hiding or drinking coffee. And your aide, well, pretty much across the board a nurse's aide isn't going to do much more work than he absolutely has to, to keep a job. So I do agree with the other posters with that, you are it when it comes to nursing so home health isn't the place. Don't be scared of it though, we all get through the first year, the first job. But I will stress: go where you want now because it gets harder to switch after you've started. ICU, ER; it's okay for a new grad, you're eager and you know more book smarts than any working nurse. But medsurg, eh, good place to burn out.

I disagree with some of this. I have found the opposite to be true. I started out in a speciality (ED) and have found it hard to transition to other units. For example, L&D doesn't want me because I don't have that year of med-surg experience. Same with critical care. ICUs in my area typically want one to two years of med-surg. Never mind that I have nearly a year of ER. So, perhaps it depends on the area of the country in which you live. I don't believe that most people get "stuck" in med-surg. It is easy to burn out in any nursing speciality, if you don't enjoy it.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU,ER,ACLS/BLS instructor.

EXCUSE ME??? Let me think,who is better on the floor ,hmmmmmmm a book smart nurse with no common sence and thinks a 5;1 ratio is bad or a nurse who struggled in school,might not have been all A'S AND B'S but has loads of common sence and can admit there is so much to learn from most experienced nurses,,,,hmmmmmmmmmmmm who do I want caring for me???????????? Me thinks someone just got my IRISH up,,,sorry did not mean to offend ,,,,,

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