RN patient ratios

[BlessesRN_2011]

Hello my peers- just taking a poll: on an average day what is the census of your acute adult unit and how many RNs are on duty? My unit typically has 25-30 patients, there are 2 RNs, one LPN for meds and 2 MHAs (mental health associate). This combo of staff is for day shift 7-3 and must take off orders for 4 doctors,do 2 groups,attend staffing daily with various doctors in addition to any admissions and discharges that occur. I find finishing all the paperwork my facility wants is impossible most days. What are ur experiences? Thanks!

This is the day The Lord has made, we shall rejoice and be glad in it.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

When I work inpatient, it's about 4:1, and it can never be higher than 6:1. But that's California law.

At one job, it's primary care nursing, so I do it all for them: meds, assist with ADLs, whatever. We occasionally have a LVN, but they're assigned patients as if they were a RN, but a RN has to perform/cosign certain assessments for them. We have one tech but they're usually doing rounds. We'll get additional techs if we have 1:1s. The charge RN will also take a patient load, though a smaller one. Depending on the time of day, we may also have an admissions RN; if we don't, we take turns. We do our own discharges.

At the other job, we have med LVNs and more techs, so it's more team nursing. The charge nurse does all the discharges. Even though a nurse may be assigned to assess more than 6 patients, if you include all of the nurses on the floor the ratio does work out to 6:1 at the end.

[EatYourVeggies]

Unfortunately at the hospital I work at it is 24 patients per nurse which is ridiculous. We only get two nurses if we have 25+ patients!

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

For 22-30 on days, 3 nurses (1 may be LPN), 3-4 MHW, a secretary, 1AT, some social workers

[SheriffLauren]

I work evenings, pt census is averaging at 32 currently. We are VERY acute so 3-4 RN's on staff with 6-7 MHW (mental health workers, nurse assistants). But if we have 1:1's we add one for each, so right now we have 3, which means my staffing is: 11-12 people.

Were supposed to do groups, but usually something happens (SIB, fall, behavioural incident, suprise admission) and the group is cancelled. One RN does meds, which leave one to do charge, and one or two for treatments on a good day (and we have A TON of insulins). And dont forget 2/3 staff leave each hour for dinner breaks. Remove the 1:1's and the med RN, and you really could have 5/6 available on the floor.

Luckily on a good night, everyone sleeps by 9/10 and all the staff is back from dinner breaks

On a bad day, in the winter when everyone calls out during a blizzard, you can have 7/8 staff total with just two nurses and that is terrifying and stressful and I HATE it.