ratio for intermediate care anyone?

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Specializes in PCCN.

my floor has a 7 :1 ratio for intermediate care on nights. Isnnt that a bit much? anyone else have this?

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Specializes in Critical Care.

In California it's 4:1. Elsewhere 5:1 or 6:1 is more common, 7:1 is a bit high but you're not the only one.

Intermediate care floors vary too. Do you take non-vented/non-Swan line post open hearts? Active/Pre-intervention NSTEMI's?

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Specializes in PCCN.

no swans or vents, but active MI's, post plasty, icu "stepdowns" I put that in quotes because they really should ave gone to the unit, but "sorry, we dont have any unit beds, so they have to stay". lots of SIRS, sepsis, SBO,neuro( but not NIH), cardizem gtts nitro, lasix gtts, amio gtts, lidocaine gtts, heparin and angiomax gtts. etc. then throw in the confused post fx hip folks or confused falling all over the place old folks. oh forgot to add ciwa too. we've withdrawn quite a few etoh'ers lately.

oh and one tech for 26 pts at night :-(

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Specializes in MS, ED.

This sounds like my last floor, yuck. I'm sorry, jr - agree that it's way too much, particularly without techs. It's why I left - the poor ratios and uncontrolled admissions (just taking everything with no care to staffing appropriately) with scant tech support made for too much work for any one nurse.

My current floor has usual intermediate ratio up to 4:1. The rest of the floor, however, operates 8-11:1 with 1:15 tech coverage to allow for a lower intermediate ratio.

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Specializes in STICU, MICU.

At my hospital it is 3 to 1. And the only vent they see is a at night only or home vent. Very stable patients, anything really sick goes to the ICU.

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No.. it's not "a bit much". It is freaking outrageous.

Doubt if you can change it... move on as soon as possible.

I have worked a similar unit, 1:6, but we had an assistant.

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Specializes in CICU.

Mine is 5:1 on nights, may start 3:1 with an admission / transfer / pick-up or two.

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Specializes in Telemetry.

Where I work it is 1:6 for sure and sometimes we are pushed to 7 pts. it is very frustrating because our patients are very sick and I feel like I can't give the best care to my patients. ughhh just venting but I feel your pain! I wish we had ratios here in Texas like they do in California.

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on days 1:4-5. Nights 1:6or7.

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