Only one nurse on a psych unit

[Affsana31]

My hospital ( in a large city in Alabama) sometimes staffs their smaller psych units with only an RN and two techs. I feel this is extremely dangerous and should be illegal. I was just curious if other psych facilities staff like this.

[Msmedic68w, MSN, RN]

I work for a UHS facility, I'm the only registered nurse. I usually have two techs. It was really difficult when I started, I was a new grad :/

[PG2018]

Nurse Ratched did it with two big techs and a little tech.

[Sniper06]

Sometimes I am the only RN for 40 patients with 1 LPN and 8 techs. There is no national standard (which is a shame). You would think by now the APNA or ANA would have a detailed staffing guide for inpatient psych units. All of the major research says that patients are safer and have better outcomes when there are more RNs providing care. The population we serve are medically sicker than they have ever been in the past. Let alone the fact that psych patients generally have a higher mortality and morbidity rates than the rest of the community. It frustrates me to no end that old school psych nurses are complacent with the old staffing models that they have become used to since the time they joined the field. We must start advocating for better ratios for our clients. They deserve and need the same attention clients on med surg units get. Their health is equally important.

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

Nurse Ratched did it with two big techs and a little tech.

And look at what she did: controlled by manipulation, caused a patient to kill himself, then almost got killed herself.

[Adam Cartagena]

I I find it hard to believe the answers to this person's concerns. I don't care where you work. One nurse on a psych unit is not safe.

I work on a PTSD unit in a VA hospital 15-20 Combat Vets. I get myself and 1 nursing assistant! No, it's not safe !! do I make it work the best I can, of course.  

 nursing assistant and techs can not take Dr orders file reports and  are many times not adequately trained to handle disruptive behavior and that 1 nurse ends up having to deescalate  them as well as the patients. Always advocating for appropriate safe staffing. It's sad how nurses are desensitized and programmed to accept poor working conditions. Wake up !! I've been doing this job for 34 years and nobody's  going to tell me different .