POLL: nurse-to-patient ratio

[j0yegan]

I know there are different acuity levels, but on your floor, what is the nurse-to-patient ratio? I just want to add them all into a visual-friendly poll.

(If you work with "couplets", include mom and baby as one patient).

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

I work in mother baby. One couplet equals two separate patients. I usually have 3-4 couplets or 6-8 patients. Sometimes the babies are more work than moms. I had a baby yesterday on phototherapy and antibiotics.

[FineAgain]

I worked as a CNA on OB/GYN for years before I graduated. Still amazed at the people who think of a mother/baby as one patient. They are two!!!

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

1:5 usually. Max is 1:7. Surgical unit.

[zeus&lincoln]

I work in mother baby. One couplet equals two separate patients. I usually have 3-4 couplets or 6-8 patients. Sometimes the babies are more work than moms. I had a baby yesterday on phototherapy and antibiotics.

You all do photo in MIU? That is wonderful. In my hospital we (NICU) get all bili babies. That would lessen our load so much if our MIU was able to take bili kiddos.

NICU level 3- 1-2 babies depending on acuity. I had an HIE baby on cooling protocol a few days ago that was a 1:1 but usually we are 2:1 with the rarest exception of 3:1.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

SICU--generally it's 1:2. 1:1 if higher acuity (pt is on CRRT, pt. is likely to be declared brain dead soon and is an organ donor, etc.); or we're slated for the admit bed. 2:1 if the pt. is on ECMO

Last job in an LTACH was 1:3 in our ICU, 4-5 pts on days, 6-7 on nocs. They had the stupidest (is that a word?) acuity matrix... >5 IV meds in a shift made them higher acuity on paper, but wound care did not. Not even with 4 pressure ulcers w/ a wound vac on each, not even with >30% TBSA burns. Wound care for them could easily take 2 hours. But I digress.

First job was neuro/ENT/adult CF. Ratios were pretty much the same as the LTACH, unless we were assigned to the PC room (progressive care--a neuro stepdown room). I can't remember if the day nurses only had the PC room, but on nocs we had the PC plus two other pts.

[ZooMommyRN, ADN, RN]

Pediatric ER we are usually 1: 3 once in a while well pick up a fourth from another team if they have something critical, trauma and procedural sedation It's 1 on 1

[ashleyisawesome, BSN, RN]

mostly 6:1 on night shift, good nights are 4-5:1, bad nights are 7:1. i work a surgical med/surg floor.

[Dranger]

1:3 (or less) or 4 Depending if it's ICU or PCU

[kp1987]

Ortho/surg 4-5 pt

Medical floor 4-5 as well

Can't imagine 7 or more

[cassie77775]

Mother baby and 4 couplets(which is 8 pt). Occasionally we have 3 couplets but that is rare and usually our open bed is filled by midnight.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

ICU should never be more than 1:2. Mother Baby 3 couplets. Med Surg 1:5. The ratios I'm seeing are just so unreal. At some point we will need to unionize across the country and take back what's being taken from us. When will the numbers end?? When you have 1:15 Med Surge, 1:6 couplets Mother Baby, 1:5 ICU?? This is sheer madness!