# of residents in LTC

shawnnarae · Jul 13, 2008

I have about 20-22 depending on census but I do all the meds and all the treatments, any orders that may come in, bs & insulin for the diabetics, calling/faxing docs if someone should get really sick and also handle any emergencies that come up. I do have a unit manager that is there from 7a-12p to help but she often has her set of things do work on.

Crispy Critter · Jul 13, 2008

I only have 8 patients,but let me explain the sitch. Our facility is doing a remodel, and have rented an unused department from the hospital below us. As the only RN, I'm placed down there. Sound great? It's hell! The powers that be have decreed that they will put total care patients down there. I have a CNA for about 3 hours, max. She usually is assigned to go upstairs as soon as baths are done.

I do all clerical and nursing duties, as well as all CNA duties. Some of these people are total care, incontinent of bowel and bladder. The ones who are continent are on their lights constantly to go to the bathroom. I spend all day answering lights and have difficulty getting nursing stuff done. I have central lines with meds, a tube feeding and trach care. One of the pts is confused and wanders. I don't mean to sound whiney, but 12 hours of all this lifting and running is killing me!

I also share the department with physical therapy, and they will rarely answer the phone, even though it's frequently for them. The facility is also having PT time how long it takes me to answer lights, because a patient on the main floor is having the place investigated. She was never even on my floor!

What really gets me is one of the rooms has no running water and no toilet. Administation insists on putting people in there that can't get up to use the toilet. I had a patient in there with a colostomy and a foley. I had to carry poop and urine out of the room right thru PT patients and visitors. Nasty! Now I have a "respiratory isolation" -what a joke-patient in there. He blows stuff out of his trach and spits on everything. He yells all the time. There is no water to clean up his constant liquid stool.The dirty utility room is across the dept., and that is where we dump stuff and get water. This has to be violating some kind of board of health rules, but admin. is unwilling to lose the revenue on this room. After all, they don't have to work down there!

I have not found another job yet, but I'm looking. I have tried to hang on while I finished school, but it ain't gonna happen! Sorry to vent, but I do feel better now!

Xbox Live Addict · Jul 13, 2008

I'm curious: how many residents do nurses here take care of daily? My med pass at full census has 32 residents of various levels of care. All of 'em take too many meds of course :-) There are some staffing changes being made and we may start only having about 21 residents per nurse which seems like a dream! Whats the norm?

In the LTCs I have worked at, during 7-3 and 3-11, each nurse is responsible for 2 halls with 20-25 residents each, ranging from SNF care to total assist. There is a CMA for PO meds, but the nurse is responsible for wound care, insulin, charting, I&O, monthly summaries (for billing purposes), and supervision. At night, it was generally either 1 nurse for the whole building with a CMA to handle meds (80-90 residents) or 2 nurses who handled all their own meds, including the 7AM med pass.

Laurab14 · Jul 13, 2008

I would say I have around 30-35 residents. Depending how many meds they take each med pass takes about an hour. You really depend on the nurse aides to inform you of any changes in the resident status.

NursKris82 · Jul 14, 2008

I would say I have around 30-35 residents. Depending how many meds they take each med pass takes about an hour. You really depend on the nurse aides to inform you of any changes in the resident status.

A one hour med pass... what a dream.

I usually have around the same amount, but med pass, takes much, much longer. :vlin:

LakesideRN · Jul 14, 2008

I have 38 residents, 1 med aide and 3 CNAs. I do glucometers, treatments, charting, faxes to doctors, peg tubes, nebs, etc. I am new to LTC (2 mos). 13 years hospital experience, mostly telemetry. I work twice as hard in LTC. Weekend doubles. Last weekend I had to send 4 pts to ER. I usually send at least 1 to the ER each weekend.

Thornbird · Jul 14, 2008

The minimum I ever had was 20 and the max was 42 on day shift. Nights, I've had as many as 80. Plaes where I had upwards of 30 there would usually be a second nurse, one to do "desk" and treatments, one to do meds. My experience with LTC med passes that each shift has a light one and a heavy one. The heavy one some places on days takes 4 hours. Yuck, definitely need a nurse to do the desk and paperwork there! Right now, I am 11-7, one nurse with 34 patients and a 2 hour am med pass.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jul 14, 2008

On day shift (6-2pm) and evening shift (2-10pm), the maximum I've had is 37.

During night shift (10-6am), I have had over 70 patients.

JeanineLPN1984 · Jul 16, 2008

We have 5 nurses 7-7p and we each have a max. of 26 residents, 7p-7a has 3 nurses. We have a treatment nurse ( Thank Goodness) too. All our residents are mixed- skilled, long term, Picc's , etc. We also have about 10-11 aides daily to do bedside care.

Med pass in am takes about 2-1/2 hrs, all the rest are a breeze except night 8pm can be heavy too.

eldragon · Jul 17, 2008

I have 35 patients because the census is down. I do all the meds on dayshift, and split charting with another nurse. She does treatments and charge. It's easy.

(I moved from a skilled unit that was a nighmare.............)

Skeetersmom119 · Jul 22, 2008

I'm curious: how many residents do nurses here take care of daily? My med pass at full census has 32 residents of various levels of care. All of 'em take too many meds of course :-) There are some staffing changes being made and we may start only having about 21 residents per nurse which seems like a dream! Whats the norm?

I have 30, which is generally what I have seen at other facilities. However, I have been called to a room on the opposite end of the unit by a family member (that nurse is MIA), to assess their family member, or to solve a problem which needs immediate attention.