Staffing/Patient Ratios

[KimRN41514]

I work on a med/surg unit. We have charge nurses, medication nurses (LPN or RN) and patient care providers (LPN or CNA). The RN's take the total number of patients on the unit and divide them as equally as possible amongst themselves (taking into consideration acuity). We usually have 4-8 Charge nurses depending on the census. Is there a better way of doing our staffing?

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

FOUR to EIGHT charge nurses?????????????????

Dang ! How many BEDS on your m/s unit?

[258bourbon]

I have turned into a very frustrated nurse. I work in a small rural hospital on a med/surg unit. We have a fairly new manager,( she is an experienced RN) and our staffing ratios have become what i consider dangerous. Last week, I had 12 pts over a 12 hour shift. The most I had at one time was 10. The staff on the whole floor consisted of myself and a CNA. WE do have a respitory tech(for the hospital) and lab techs in house. All other responsibilites fall on me--all orders, answering phones, making arrangments for testing, passing meds, charting, admissions, discharges. I am the staff nurse, charge nurse, clerk, etc. Our manager refuses to even address the issue, she claims that the staffing problem is our own because we are trying to do self scheduling.

Our total staff consists of 1 RN manager, 4 full time RNs for days and 4 full time nights. The staffing pattern is supposed to be a minimum of 2 RNs and 1 CNA per shift. We currently have 1 RN on maternity leave. I really like my job, it is close to home and fairly low stress except for this current trend of staffing issues. Does any one have in suggestons for me on how to correct this or is this typical of how most places are? I was a labor and delivery nurse prior to this in a facility where we had over 300 deliveries a month and we had great staffing. (We moved or I would still be there)