regarding ratios: 5:1 days, 6:1 nights

[nursewall-e]

Opportunity knocks in a right-to-work state for this new grad with above ratios.

Is this a good thing or a disaster in the making?

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

Those are good ratios for a MedSurg floor.

[RNperdiem, RN]

These sound pretty typical around here for med-surg. ICU has 1:2 or 1:1, stepdown ratios give you 3 or 4 patients.

[NuGuyNurse2b]

Um I'd take that in a heartbeat. We get 7-8 patients most days and when the moon aligns with Jupiter, we get 9...it's totally unsafe.

[NurseCard, ADN]

Sounds about right, if you have nurse aides helping you. On my med surge

floor we do primary nursing, no aides, and when our census reaches 5:1 or

6:1, we're screaming.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Those are good ratios for the most part, unless you are in ICU. Then those are horrifying. But for med-surg and PCU, those are standard.

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

Sounds about right, if you have nurse aides helping you. On my med surge

floor we do primary nursing, no aides, and when our census reaches 5:1 or

6:1, we're screaming.

Good point! I never worked MedSurg that did primary but floors at my institution that did were usually 3 or 4 patients per nurse.

[nursewall-e]

Thank you, colleagues. Your insights mean the world to me.

[NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN]

Take it

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

One of my colleagues came to work with me because she had a 13 patient assignment on nights on a pulmonary med/surg floor. 5-6 patients is beyond fantastic.

[cleback]

Those are good. I hope you have an aid though... that ratio can still be tough if you have a lot of total care patients.

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

I have worked day shift med/surg with seven patients. Five is pretty awesome.