Patient load

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Apr 29, 2012

It depends on the acuity of the patients you are caring for. It will also vary based on state regulation. The general pediatrics floor in our hospital is 1:5.

umcRN, BSN, RN · Apr 30, 2012

At my hospital it's 3 or 4 to 1. But it will depend on your location, acuity, nights vs day etc

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Apr 30, 2012

It varies by hospital, floor, acuity, etc. When I worked in the hospital, ratios on my floor were typically 3:1 on days and 4-5:1 on nights. We occasionally had high acuity patients who should have been in the ICU but were admitted to the floor's pretend "step-up" unit because they wanted the patient on the specialty floor. Those patients were meant to be 2:1 at all times but, if staffing didn't allow for it, it didn't happen. I've taken assignments with up to 5 patients when I was supposed to have 2, others have had to go to 6.

~PedsRN~, BSN, RN · Apr 30, 2012

I am in a Children's Hospital -- and we really like to keep the patient load at 1:4. That's the "ideal".