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can someone explain the nurse ratio to me and why a higher number would be better? (thats all the description says)

probably more nurses to less patients

probably more nurses to less patients

so 1.7 would be 1 nurse to 7 patients or 7 nurses to 1 patient?

The hospitals in my area have 1.3, 1.5 and 1.7 and just trying to understand how large a difference there is between 1.3 and 1.7 to know if thats REALLY worth it to chose one over the other (if that makes sense)

Specializes in Med-Surg/Trauma.
so 1.7 would be 1 nurse to 7 patients or 7 nurses to 1 patient?

The hospitals in my area have 1.3, 1.5 and 1.7 and just trying to understand how large a difference there is between 1.3 and 1.7 to know if thats REALLY worth it to chose one over the other (if that makes sense)

Ratios are always one nurse to x number of patients.

Although sometimes it would be nice to have 7 nurses for only one patient I don't think that's really realistic :chuckle

Ratios are always one nurse to x number of patients.

Although sometimes it would be nice to have 7 nurses for only one patient I don't think that's really realistic :chuckle

obviously its not realistic...but why would a higher number be better if 1.7 is 1 nurse to 7 patients and 1.3 was 1 nurse to three patients? Johns Hopkins has a 2.2 which sounds better, but I guess I'm just confused... why wouldn't they say 1.1 and say that lower numbers is better?

Ratios are always one nurse to x number of patients.

Although sometimes it would be nice to have 7 nurses for only one patient I don't think that's really realistic :chuckle

though once I did have a 2.2 ratio when I was hospitalized. One of the nurses was in orientation and the nurse patient ratio on that floor was 1.2 so when there were two of them it became 2.2 it was cool

Specializes in Med-Surg/Trauma.
obviously its not realistic...but why would a higher number be better if 1.7 is 1 nurse to 7 patients and 1.3 was 1 nurse to three patients? Johns Hopkins has a 2.2 which sounds better, but I guess I'm just confused... why wouldn't they say 1.1 and say that lower numbers is better?

Are they with decimal points or with a colon? The way numbers are presented can mean very different things.

Like a ratio of 1:7 would be one nurse for seven patients.

Perhaps in the system they are dividing it out. For example let's use one nurse to seven patients and one nurse to 3 patients.

1 (nurse) / 7 (patients)= .14

1 (nurse) / 3 (patients)= .33

So .33 is a higher number which is better (describes a fewer number of patients per nurse). Did that help you out at all? That would be an instance where a "higher" number would be more favorable. If you were just looking at the ratios 1:7 and 1:3 the 1:3 you would pick the lower patient number as more favorable. I guess I am not understanding where you are having the problem. Maybe I'm not explaining it well and someone else could explain it to you better.

Ha sorry for hijacking this thread for a second into mathland which is totally unrelated to the best hospitals list.

I'm with you, but its a decimal point and not a colon which is what confuses me. I guess its just a number, but nurse staffing numbers are important to me. I wish I could find more specific info.

The list breaks them down into their departments (cancer, ear/nose/throat, endocrinology, etc) and under each listing the number is the same. Its labeled "Nurse Staffing" and the numbers I've seen are 1.3, 1.5, 1.7 and the #1 rated hospital, John's Hopkins, has a 2.2. If you mouse over the Nurse Staffing label it says "Balance of nurses and patients, higher is better"

although I still do not know the exact formula for their numbers, going off of "higher is better" I know that of the 7 hospitals that I am aware of on the eastern side of the state, only one hospital has a higher # than mine, and that is MUSC of Charleston w/ a 2.0. The rest have numbers significantly lower or were not even listed.

I live in Lubbock and am considering moving to Amarillo. Could you please tell me a few things about BSA? I would like to know how much RN starting pay and differentials are. What is the normal patient to staff ratio? Is BSA a private or county hospital? Is it a teaching hospital? Do any of the floors do team nursing? Answers to any of these questions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

Mine is on the main list (well where I do clinicals and hopefully do an internship and eventually work). It's not on the top 20 that I can see. I know it's a Magnet Hospital and also voted as one of the top 100 places to work for in the United States. A handful of my neighbors work there and are nurses. I guess if you're gonna get hurt, my Court is the place to get hurt in. lol

Specializes in ER, OR, PACU, TELE, CATH LAB, OPEN HEART.

I am at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Very PROUD to be a part of such a great and caring organization.

Happy Holidays to all.

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