Responsible For How Many Patients?

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Hi Everyone!

I'm a third semester nursing student in California and plan to move after I graduate. I've heard numerous stories about nurses in other states being assigned a huge number of patients. I'd like a reality check from those of you working in other states (especially Oregon and Washington State.) This would calm my anxiety alot!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for your time, I appreciate it!

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I have a friend who is working in Seattle, I'll ask her.

In the meantime, take the poll on this American Nurses Association site and pass the link along to all of your nursing friends;

http://safestaffingsaveslives.net/WhatisSafeStaffing/SafeStaffingPrinciples.aspx

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I live in WA. It varies by unit and hospital but where I am, in med-surg the nurses are having to take 8 sick to very sick patients each shift. It's run, run, run for them and literally dangerous at times.

In OB units, the standard seems to be labor patients 2:1, which can be manageable unless and until one goes badly or needs a c/s and you have to get coworkers, who also have the same load of their own, to watch the other patient. It can be quite difficult. In PP, often, the assignment is 4-5 couplets per nurse, which is 10 patients. Although they are not "sick" they do need a lot....teaching especially. This is very hard with that many.

In ICU, it's generally 2-3:1. This can be crazy when it's 3:1 and they are all very sick, total care and on numerous drips you have to titrate continually. One goes bad, and you have a mess on your hands. But nurses do this everyday and succeed. It depends on excellent teamwork, of course.

It is certainly not easy out there, but doable. You have to ask about the nurse-patient ratio in any unit you expect to work and know how acuity as well. It all varies by these factors. Numbers by themselves, are not enough. You need to know acuities as well.

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I work at a hospital in Oregon, and although I am not a nurse I was a CNA on the general medical floor for a year. The nurses on the unit I worked on generally had 4-5 patients. Less or more was very rare and only happened with admits and discharges.

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

I work peds in PA and we generally have 4-5 pts.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

To the OP (original poster): California is the only state with legally-mandated nurse/patient ratios for acute care hospitals. The remaining 49 states do not have any mandatory ratios written into law.

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yes, i'm from CA and 5 is our max. i prefer to take 5 at the beginning of my shift because that means i don't have to do any admissions.

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I work in an ICU in North Carolina. We staff 1:1 or 1:2. There is a charge nurse who does not take a patient assignment, one or two CNA;s on days, a unit secretary and sometimes coverage from a transport nurse for days and nights.

We have it good.

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I work third shift Med Surg. We can have up to eight. Even if I'm doing charge, I still have 7-8 per night. Fun fun fun.:cry:

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Specializes in ICU.

When I was working in Ohio in an LTACH, it was a 4:1 ratio, never more.

Down here in NC it's 2:1 in the ICU, on rare occasions it'll be a 3:1, if the patients are more "step-down" type patients.

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We work 12 hr shifts, 7-7, which means we are there at 6:15 to prepare to take report, and we leave between 7:15-7:30,,sometimes later to finish paperwork off the clock.

If I take 6 patients at the beginning of shift it usually means I won't have to take an admit, but not necessarily. If the unit fills up, which happens often, I have to take a 7th and usually do the entire admission process without CNA or unit secretary.

Sucks!

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