Staffing Ratios

Specialties Psychiatric

Published

Hi everyone,

I am relatively new to psychiatric nursing and for decades worked in critical care areas with a 1:2 nurse:patient ratio. I am now employed at a for-profit acute care psychiatric facility with a 1:15 nurse:patient ratio. The PICU does have a 1:12 ratio. Is this common in behavioral health? We are now opening a unit that accepts medically fragile geriatric unit. Right now the ratio is 1 RN : 15 Patients. My opinion is that we are dangerously understaffed. We have no CNA's, lifts and only a few hospital beds. What is the norm elsewhere?

Specializes in Psych.

OMG that is horrible! I currently work on a psych unit in a hospital and have between 4-6 patients with a PCA!

In California the law states patient nurse ratio on a psych unit is no more than 6:1

Specializes in Psychiatric.
On 9/8/2019 at 8:35 PM, SuburbsGirl said:

Universal Health Services

I've worked for them. When they took over the hospital I worked for they dropped an RN and an MHT on each unit, which meant I was the only RN left on the Acute unit of 12 patients, with one MHT. I lasted 6 months when a patent beat the MHT so bad they were in a coma for 2 weeks with a broken jaw, a broken orbital, and 3 fractured ribs, along with the skull fracture the poor woman endured. I quit a week later, when right after it happened, I told the nurse manager I was concerned that the 1:12 ratio was dangerous, and she pointed to the door and said, "There's the door if you don't like it. Don't let it hit you in the *** on the way out"! The following week, a patient grabbed my face and threw my glasses down the hall. I finished my shift and turned in my badge.

I work in an outpatient facility as an LPN and our ratio is 1 full-time nurse 4 doctors and 1300 clients. I am run ragged but love my job and after 20 yrs am too afraid to leave my current job.

I should add I work 2 different facilities. Mon-Wed and Every other Thur I am in Carlisle and work with an RN and 3 part-time doctors and abt 300 clients. Tues, Fri, And every other Thur I work in Harrisburg as referenced in the first paragraph. Mon and Wed when I am in Carlisle There is an LPN that works, so in the Harrisburg office though there are 2 nurses we work opposite days so the 2 of us make-up one full-time nurse.

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