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What is your nurse patient ratio? With or without techs?
what is a tech?
In the nursing world, a tech is a shortened term for PCT (patient care technician) or nurse tech. Other names you might see are CNAs (certified nursing assistants) and PCAs (patient care assistants) - they all generally have similar duties. They help out with basic care for the patients (vitals, baths, linens, ambulating, toileting, feeding, etc. - which nurses can do as well).
At my former job, our ratio was usually 5:1. If we had a good amount of staff, a few nurses might get 4:1. We tried to avoid the ratio of 6:1 once we moved to our new floor, but sometimes it happened. We did have techs (we called them PCAs).
God Bless Y'all, Med Surg nurses! :heartbeat This is the primary reason I moved to critical care. Practically impossible to do proper care at a 7:1 ratio!
I would desperately like to get away from med/surg. 7 patients is definitely too many. I can usually handle six but seven is just that magic number that ruins everything. It *is* impossible to give proper care with seven pts. I hate it. I'm sitting here practically salivating over the thought of only having to care for 4-5 pts. like these other nurses.
Just got hired as a night shift nurse 7pto 7a for a med surge floor. The nurse manager stated I would have 5 patient ratio because she recently had alot of nurses quit because the patient ratio had been higher and she stated more than once I would never have over 5 patients. Hope she holds true to this. I am leaving LTC nursing after 8 years. That is all the experience that I have so I know it will be a tough transition but need the experience for down the road!
mediatix8
187 Posts
Night shift: usually 5-6 patients per nurse and 2-3 techs for a floor with at most 33 patients.