Staffing Ratios- Your Area And The Number Of Pts You Are Asked To Care For?

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Just out of curiousity....Id like to hear from everyone regarding what area you work in and how many patients (max) that you are expected to care for?Id also like to know if your hospitals ever ask you to exceed the max amt of patients you feel you can safely care for (perhaps bc of high acquity issues with the type of patients you care for)?Does your state have mandatory staffing laws like California?:twocents:

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Ortho/neuro floor and some med/surg patients. The staffing book states 6pts/1nurse reality is 8-10 pts. from 7a-7p and up to 14 pts on 7p-7a. We are not asked if we can take on more pts we are told we have to. It is work or quit if you do not like it. Virginia does not have any laws regarding nurse/pt. ratios.

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I'm thankfully in California. We occasionally have push assignments (meaning more than the ratio law would allow), but not all that often lately. I work NICU and have anywhere from one to four babies depending on acuity. There are times I feel the ratios are lacking. For instance, all our babies requiring respiratory support are 2:1, but in that case babies on oscillators are treated the same as babies on 0.1LPM of nasal canula.

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Specializes in LDRP.

BRN-

I'm also in Virginia, and the ratios at my hosp are good (though im cardiac, not med/surg)

day shift i have 3-4 pts and occasionally, 5. its not all bad in virginia!

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Specializes in Case Mgmt; Mat/Child, Critical Care.

High Risk L&D usually 1:1 or 1:2. NICU can be 1:1 up to 4:1 (stepdown).

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I work on medsurg floor in a hospital in Oklahoma. We are supposed to have pt/ratio of 5-6 patients at most. We sometimes end up with 8pts. Total care. I am IV certified LPN so I can also give blood. I feel comfortable with 5pts if high acuity 6 if low acuity.

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Specializes in A myriad of specialties.

I am an LPN and work with developmentally disabled/mentally retarded clients in group home settings. It's a state-operated program. There are 3-5 clients who live in each home. Direct care staff provide all personal hygiene care. I give medications and do a minimal number of treatments. It's low-stress, highly rewarding; the best nursing job ever!!!!:specs: ---especially after having experienced years as charge nurse in nursing homes and in hemodialysis.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, educator.

In Indiana we have no staffing ratio laws-kinda wish we did though. I work on a surgical inpatient floor. Ratio usually in the 6-8 to 1. Have had it as high as 14:1. I am usually only RN on our floor, with 1-2 LPNs, 1-2 CNAs (sometimes no CNAs), with 24-30 pt census. Small community hospital, we turn no one away, regardless of danger to pt safety :angryfire

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

I work med/surg. The most patient i will even consider taking is 12 and thats pushing the envelope. Today,, i started the day with 9,, and ended up with 13. I raise heck, they listen and i keep going. Thank god my shift ended when it did.

Those are high census days, when they call everyone on the staffing log and noone will come in extra (hmmm, i wonder why).

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, MICU/SICU.

I work Transitional Trauma; 5/6:1 on days and 6/7:1 on nights. We also have on Observation Room with 4 patients (heads, trachs/pegs), that room is 4:1 with a nurse or tech present at all times. We have 8 tele beds, tele or not doesn't influence the ratio. We also have (unless we're short) 3 techs for 28 patients.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I feel lucky... peds medical floor, 4-6 pts 7p-7a and it's rare to have 6 (so far). I don't see how you all with double-digit patients (or even 7-8!) manage it... six makes me all "discombobulated". hats off to you.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I work in a rural area nursing home 10p-6a. The only nurse on duty with the help of anywhere from 2-4 CNA's. I have between 58 and 61 residents/patients to care for. :clown: Most nights it is quiet. Other nights the call lights are busy. Of these 58-61 residents, 8 are in a locked unit where there is 1 CNA at night. The other remaining CNA's work the front of the nursing home.

Real fun! In Texas we do not have a nursing ration per say. There is a required number of "nursing hours" for the number of residents in house. Our day and evening shifts have 2 nurses (not counting DON, or ADON) and from 5-9 CNA's, and 1-2 CMA's, for each of those shifts.:stone

Is it just me? or Is there something wrong with this picture?!

Nursing homes need mandatory patient:nurse ratios. BADLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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