Resident to nurse ratio

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Several times in the last month, there has only been one nurse on 11-7 at my facility for a fully loaded 120 bed facility with tube feeders out the wazoo and several trach residents. The nurse who is calling out has a legitimate knee injury that is more than likely going to require surgery. We do not have PRN nurses who specifically want to work 11-7, so when said nurse has to call out, and believe me, I KNOW she is unable to work when she calls out, my DON does nothing to cover her shift. She tells me, and the other 11-7 nurse if she happens to be the nurse left alone that night "well, we can legally run the facility with one nurse on 11-7". Of course she can "legally" run the facility, because there are 14 licensed nurses on day shift!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! which more than makes up for the 24 hour requirement. What I would like to know is exactly how does that 24 hour requirement work? I LOVE my job, but I am very worried that working with such high acuity residents with one nurse will leave me open to an error that may cost me my license. Let me add that we frequently have only 4 CNA's due to CNA call outs, so there have been nights when we had five employees in the facility with 120 residents. If anyone can explain to me how a facility can legally run with one nurse to 120 residents, please explain it to me. :angryfire

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

Call your state DPH and ask to speak to the surveyor of the day. You can anonymously ask any kind of regulatory question and get an answer. 120 pt and one nurse??? Can't imagine that'd be legal any where.

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LEGAL? I hope not!! Sheesh... Come work for me... you might get 15 pts with 4 CNA's!!!

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.
LEGAL? I hope not!! Sheesh... Come work for me... you might get 15 pts with 4 CNA's!!!

15 patients on 11-7 with 4 CNA's???? Where do I sign up?

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Specializes in ICU, CCU, Trauma, neuro, Geriatrics.

Call the state and ask for surveyor. They will come to see that situation. No they will not say who called, but of course you will be the seen culprit. Document any nasty verbal and any changes in policy that happen in the next 60 days after your calling them to produce proper staffing.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

I am not a nurse, but I cannot understand where anyone could consider that act being legal, yet alone humanely possible. I say speak up and get things done right or move on and find your niche somewhere else.

Good luck, :)

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Sheesh! No way would I do that. On occasion out night nurse has to work alone (2 aides) with 35 residents with 7 tube feeders, BGs up the ying yang and heavy meds. I think that way too much. It is fine if everything is quiet and goes the way it should. But how often does that happen? You get one problem then you are doomed. She started to get migraines - wonder why?

It isn't worth my license or the lives of my residents to do that. I'd love to stick those (supervisors) that think it is ok on that shift for one night and see how they do. :chuckle

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