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

Nurses General Nursing

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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 Telemetry, Med-Surg, ED, Psych.

Spoke with my mother (40+ years in nursing)

During the New Jersey nursing shortage of 1986 - She was the only RN for 40 medical/surgical patients! And I quote "If I was lucky I had a med nurse (LPN) and 2 CNA's". She also spoke of being floated to different floors and leaving the unit of 40 patients in the care of the LPN/CNA's or sometimes just the Aides until she was able to return.

Spoke with my aunt (Class of 1966)

ICU in 1986 - 15 by herself

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7 patients as a new grad fresh off orientation in med-surg ortho-neuro floor. My former orienter was livid they did that to me when she found out, esp. bc there were experienced nurses with only 5 pts that day. :(

turns out I was assigned the addional 2 fresh post-ops by "accident." I was running my butt off but proud that I handled things ok.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

The most I ever took care of by myself was 11 on night shift in med surg (first position I ever took as a RN). I could have up to 6 patients on tele, and the aide was only able to do temps and incontinent care and baths.

Second med surg position my max was eight, but aides did VS, accuchecks, and baths. I had the pleasure of working with some awesome aides.

ICU my current position was 3. Sometimes, we have to triple up to keep a pt 1:1. It is a rare occasion. One night we had to have a nurse get pulled and left us short. Our charge nurse took the one pt of hers to MRI and I watched the other pt for her. Her pt coded while in MRI and I took over the other pt. It wasn't too bad since we all helped each other out. We also have some awesome techs as well on nights.

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11 - 15 ortho=psych patients (most of the time 1 CNA per dept.)..plus I was the charge rn, and had to assess & document the other LPN's 11-15 patients. My nurse mgr refused to take one single patient cuz she's so busy doing all her paperwork (rolling eyes).Oh, the mgr even refused me and the LPN to work OT to finish our charting..thank god i left that place! - county hospital in houston

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

Reading these makes me glad I am in California! I can't imagine taking care of the amount of patients some of you have to take care of...it also makes me glad that I am not a patient in your states! That can not be safe!

Intensive/Critical Care 1:2

Neo-natal Intensive Care 1:2

Operating Room (2) 1:1

Post-anesthesia recovery 1:2

Labor and Delivery 1:2

Antepartum 1:4

Postpartum couplets 1:4

Postpartum women only 1:6

Pediatrics 1:4

Emergency Room (3) 1:4

ICU patients in the ER 1:2

Trauma patients in the ER (2) 1:1

Step Down Initial 1:4

Step Down in 2008 1:3

Telemetry Initial 1:5

Telemetry in 2008 1:4

Medical/Surgical Initial 1:6

Medical/Surgical in 2005 1:5

Other Specialty Care Initial (4) 1:5

Other Specialty Care in 2008 (4) 1:4

Psychiatric 1:6

Charge RNs and managers are not counted in

the ratios

Triage at Base Ratio RNs shall

not be included in the ratios. Every ER must have an

RN, with experience in emergency care, on duty

at all times.

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Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

Telemetry: 9 patients for me. 26 on the floor, 2 other nurses, no aide. Half the shift called off the day after a holiday. We kept them all alive, but it was a miracle.

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Specializes in Neuroscience/Neuro-surgery/Med-Surgical/.

In skilled nursing facility: 1:20

In neuro/neurosurgery: 1:7

In med/surg: 1:8

In Neuro Step Down unit with fresh strokes/crani/ICP monitoring 1:4

And now my current employer who previously had a policy of 1:5 on neuro/neurosurgery floor is instituting 1:7! Ridiculous and unsafe when less than 25% of this population is walking/talking and able to voice their needs. ugh!!!!

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Specializes in LTC, dialysis, L&D, ER, Family Practice.

LTC charge....I have 40 now- with 4 aides (2 per hall) and a CMA.

There are 2 other chrg nurses- they have btwn 30 and 40 also- so when someone's at lunch well...good frickin luck getting anything done.

The perk; I'm ADD and I'm NEVER bored. The bad; fear for my license sometimes bc I do all my own treatments, Tube feedings, prn narcs, docs calls, admits, discharges and orders/dc's or hospice care- if its a wkend and there is no ward clerk.

Sounds insane why anyone would put themselves in that situation but I have learned more here in a year (about organization/prioritization/leadership) than I did 8 years enlisted and working ER,LD,or FP. ...

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Transplant, Education.

The most I've had is 11 in sub-acute rehab--this was when my floor was 2 nurses for 22 pts, now it's 3 for 26--the most my team can have is 8, and depending on how many CNAs we have, I have at least one, maybe 2 CNAs assigned to my team.

Very low census lately, though...here's hoping it picks up!

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Specializes in LTC.

400 elementary students !!! By myself. meds, treatments, first aide, seizures... ( I worked as a school health aide for two.5 years and the RN who was my boss was only there 1-2 hours, only 1-2 days a week) !

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Specializes in Acute eldery medical.

Acute elderly medial, 24...which is really not good seeing as im not a trained nurse!!

All the staff nurses went for a meeting!

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Specializes in Cardiac.

max I have cared for during the night shift is 6...day time is 5...although the approved ratio is 1:3 per hospital..

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