Patient Ratio

Editorial Team / Admin · Dec 17, 2015

As California is the only state with mandated patient ratios, it is unlikely that anyone can answer your question in general but could only provide the specifics of their own facility. They may be unwilling to do so because it can risk decreasing their anonymity.

LM NY · Dec 18, 2015

My friend who works in the ER at a city hospital has had 14-19 patients.

ERpinup · Dec 19, 2015

14-19 patient to nurse ratio......That seems extreme and extremely unsafe! I can not imagine that that is acceptable anywhere or that a nurse would actually take that many patients!

ERpinup · Dec 19, 2015

I understand they don't want to get penalized, was just wondering what people have dealt with. I can not fathom that a nurse in good faith would take an extreme number of patients that you can not handle safely. Thanks!

LM NY · Dec 19, 2015

I am not sure where you currently reside, but NY is a hugely populated area. Sometimes there aren't even enough beds and you have patients waiting in the hallway. Like the previous person mentioned, there isn't a mandated nurse-patient ratio. I am still a new nurse, but on my med-surg floor one day a nurse has 4 patients, the next day the nurse will have 7 or 8. That's why a lot of urgent care centers are popping up. People are going to the ER for non-emergency matters. Good luck in your search.

dee789 · Dec 20, 2015

I'm an ED nurse in NYC and we max at 8.

Lemmy8 · Dec 21, 2015

I'm a ED nurse in NYC and I can confirm that nurses can have up to 14-17 patients as mentioned by above. It happened to me as recent as last week and it's very unsafe, the city is overpopulated and there isn't even enough space for the patients sometimes they will stand waiting for stretchers. I don't think NYC will ever have the same patient ratios like California, we have too many complex issues.

Lemmy8 · Dec 21, 2015

I'm an ED nurse in NYC and we max at 8.

I work in NYC too and would love to work in your ED. That would be such a reprieve lol. I really love ED nursing and feel very conflicted about changing jobs because the patient to nurse ratios are ridiculously out of control all over NYC and Jersey. If you don't mind me asking do you work in level 1 trauma hospital?

LM NY · Dec 22, 2015

I feel like a creep, but I sent a private message to dee789 asking where they work. Maximum of 8 patients in a NYC hospital does not sound right. There is no way it is a Trauma 1 or 911 accepting facility(is that what they call it?)

seconddegreebsn · Dec 22, 2015

There is no max. I have a minimum of 10, that's on the acute side. Subacute it's closer to 15-20. The only thing you can do is protest your assignment with the union.

dee789 · Dec 26, 2015

Sorry, I don't feel comfortable saying where I work but it is a Level I, not in the heart of the city but in the NYC metro region. This may be why the ratios are lower than a lot of Manhattan hospitals.