Nursing Nightmare - Whats's the most number of patients you cared for by yourself?

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The most # of patients by myself

Med/Surg - 15

Telemetry - 8

Psych - 20 (Whole unit of adolescents)

Long Term Care - 40 (With another LPN and 2 CNA)

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I used to care for 71 patients by myself (no other RN or LPN, no medication aide, and 2 CNAs) on night shift at a nursing home last year.

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For the past few months we have been taking care of 100-110 residents with 2 nurses and 6-8 CNA's on 2-10 shift. They keep promissing a third nurse but it never seems to materalize. This includes 8-10 g-tubes, several with IV's, lots of accu checks and insulin, breathing treatments, etc. Long term care is not what it used to be, we are getting people right out of ICU these days. I have decided they don't plan to get any more help as long as we keep doing the work of three for the price of two. Why would they! I have had as many as 60 all my responsibility! The company I work for is known for being cheap and no giving a d--- about their employees.

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Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

In a large county ED with 400 patients per day, you took care of all of them. There was no such thing as a nurse/patient ratio.

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I work a tele floor. currently. I personally have had up to 10 on 2nd shift. I regularly have 8 on nights. When I was oreinted I saw 2- 4 hours blocks where the RNs had 13 on 2nd shift. I came VERY close to quitting without ever finishing orientation. This hospital doesn't believe in ratios. I keep hoping IL will pass a law out lawing this practice. I think until they do the hospital will keep doing this. Also the aides on the floor regularly have 13-15 pt each on 2nd and 20 on nights.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Worked day shift on Med-Surg. Between floating, admissions (we did the complete admission packets), discharges, and postops going / coming to & from surgery, I stopped counting at 20 patients one day.

And I quit as soon as I had another job.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

30 hematology/bone marrow transplant patients with one aide with a bad attitude. everyone had at least q 4 hour antibiotics (most had several antibiotics), blood transfusions, amphotercin and the bmts were in isolation requiring a 1 minute scrub each and every time we entered their room. it was a nightmare!

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Specializes in med-surg 5 years geriatrics 12 years.

LTAC = 12 patients on night shift; me and another RN had 25 total. Now and then we had an LPN who passed meds to half of my patients and half of hers.. One CNA for all. Floor expanded and staffing got a bit better for a little while. Then I had my fill one night when I had 9 total care patients; a new admit, a GI bleed, and a dementia patient with an NG were just a few of the " fun " ones in the crowd. Long term care meant 58 residents; was supposed to have a second nurse but that seldom happened. Now I'm at a small facility and the most I've had on nights is 5-6. worked the 4th and had 2....that's right 2....patients who were low acuity and slept all night. I love my job !!

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Specializes in ICU/ER/Flight.

ICU: 4, two on CVVHD, 3 out of 4 on the vent...I quit soon after.

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Specializes in Gerontology.
Just curious as to why you accepted assignment. Were you afraid they'd fire you if you didn't? Was it loyalty to the other nurses who worked the shift before you and you knew they were tired? If it happened again would you refuse assignment?

I don't mean to pry but I'm just genuinely curious. I think nurses as a whole need to come together and stand strong to stop this abuse and sadly, only when we refuse will it happen. They take advantage of us caring too much.

If I didn't stay, there would have been NO one to care for the pts.

I called the manager-on-call, she got me help for 1st rounds, that was it. It never occured to me to refuse assignment.

This was 10 years ago. If it happend today, I'd probably react differently. I've learned how to stand up for myselft and my pts better.

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Just wondering what kind of facility do you work at? In what state?

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Re: Nursing Nightmare - Whats's the most number of patients you cared for by yourselfLTAC = 12 patients on night shift; me and another RN had 25 total. Now and then we had an LPN who passed meds to half of my patients and half of hers.. One CNA for all. Floor expanded and staffing got a bit better for a little while. Then I had my fill one night when I had 9 total care patients; a new admit, a GI bleed, and a dementia patient with an NG were just a few of the " fun " ones in the crowd. Long term care meant 58 residents; was supposed to have a second nurse but that seldom happened. Now I'm at a small facility and the most I've had on nights is 5-6. worked the 4th and had 2....that's right 2....patients who were low acuity and slept all night. I love my job !!

What kind of facility and what state? do you work in? Just curious!!!

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Long term care: 80 residents at one facility. Supposed to have four to six CNAs, but usually had two. At another facility, only licensed staff for 52 residents, including 21 subacute. Supposed to have three CNAs, usually had two, and occasionally only had one. I'm now a lot happier with my one patient at a time in home health.

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