Patient to nurse ratios

[kgirl1872]

I was just wondering what your patient to nurse ratios are...especially if you work in the southeast? Our hospital adm is looking at making 10:1 at night.

[nurse.ethel.RN]

I'm fortunate. I work in a high acute LTAC and our ratio at the very worst is 4:1 (and thats only for one nurse) the rest are 3 and 2:1.

[proud nurse, BSN, RN]

I work on a busy medical oncology floor and our ratios are 7:1 on nights. I live in the Midwest.

[mariebailey, MSN, RN]

In general, med-surg units staff with a 1 RN to 4-6 patients day shift, and 1:6-10 night shif

https://www.amsn.org/practice-resources/care-term-reference/staffing/question-what-suggested-nursepatient-ratio-and

It was a 1:6 ratio for days & nights for Med Surg where I work, & I'm located in the Southeast.

[kay91]

Our ratio can go up to to 6 patients on day shift.Typically neither shift will go above 6, but there have been a few times where someone has gone up to 7 patients on nights. I work a med/onco floor in the Midwest. Usually, we will each have 4 to 5 patients on days.

[wanttonurse7]

,,, my the patient ratio here in California is 1:5 on med/surg... though some hospitals have CNAs/LVNs, wound care nurses, IV teams, etc... some even have a "i'll get you a cup of water and ice team."

it's me... the RN... and my 5 TOTAL CARE patients at the hospital i work at.

[~PedsRN~, BSN, RN]

10 patients?!?! :(

Southeast here. Pediatric Inpatient, so we staff a little more liberally (even though it's still not ideal, IMO) - regularly staffed 5:1, 6:1 if someone calls out or they scheduled the week poorly, 3:1 is ideal, 4:1 is ok unless you have a super sick kiddo.

[Everline]

Where I work, they try to keep it to 5:1 on days on the M/S floors. I think nights they might have 6:1 sometimes. That can vary depending on the time of year, but not by much. There is an effort to keep those ratios most of the time. I live in the Southeast.

10:1 would be a very, very bad thing where I work...for everyone involved.

[Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN]

I have 5 max in med/surg California, but I regularly had 8 (plus an LVN with 8, to cover) in med/surg Texas. It was chaotic in Texas and there was a lot of unintentional (but unavoidable) neglect.

[sistrmoon, BSN, RN]

I work nights, we typically have 4-6 patients. I've never had more than 6 at this hospital but at my prior hospital we took up to 8 and it was awful.

[Blaquechinadoll]

I worked on a med-surgery/hem-onc floor. Typical ratio is 1:4-6 days or nights. Chemo patients & hospice were 1:3. Usually, charge was very good with everyone getting an AMS, q2hr pain management pt, and 2-3 stable patients.(south east)

[chicookie, BSN, RN]

Peds heme/Onc is supposed to be 1:3, regularly have 1:4. Rarely have 1:5 but it has happened. Those days suck!