typical nurse/patient ratios?

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Hi all,

I ask this question mainly out of curiosity - what is the usual nurse to patient ratio on a typical hospital floor? I was in hospital a couple times the last few months (prostate infection, later an abcess that was positive for staph). Anyways, I had a couple complications here and there, one of which was kidney spasms.....at 0330 in the morning! It seemed like it took a long time for the nurse to get the morphine shot ordered, didn't think of it till the next morning about the same time, this time it was bladder spasms. Anyways, while trying to walk the pain off, I went by an eraser board, and noticed the nurses were assigned SIX rooms (2 per room) on overnights, where during the day it was always four rooms. Is this pretty typical? Considered high or low? I'm a MR/DD caregiver, worked assisted living homes and group homes both, with much lower ratios. The idea of me going up alone against 12 group home residents (granted, most hospital patients are much more cooperative) would simply give me the willies.....:imbar

BTW - so far as I know this was a regular floor, no special care (one nurse did mention they have a lot of prostate cases tho) that I'm aware of....naturally if it was ICU or something the ratios would be much different!

Tom

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Guess we should define typical! I am a typical nurse, yet deal with a 1 nurse to 160 patients...due to caregivers doing much of the other duties...then when I was a camp nurse...120 per 24/5 day shift all on my own! I am unlike hospital which...well...I didn't fit in or found satisfaction in!

For a hospital nurse..I find 5 to be premium...8 typical. It sadly is the norm to have 8...but after 8 I had a cow! One urgent situation and the other 7 were SOL as we say. I had so many emergencies when I was in hospital from just a lack of communication that I left! I will never go back! It isn't my thing!

But for someone working in, say an assisted living where caregivers do most of the work and delegation and assignment are the RN's job...then unfortunatley the borders are not defined! Which makes it okay to deal with as low as 5 and 160 like me!!!!!

So asking about ratios is like a mathmatic probelm..define the parameters? But..I guess in all cases... it would be basically the same answer...TOO Many and not enough supportive staff!!!!!

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Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

On a med/surg unit, I've had up to seven patients during dayshift. Wayyyyyyyy too many. Six is too many, too. Depending on the acuity level of the patient (the realllllllllll acuity level that is), five patients can be too much. :rolleyes:

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Cheerfuldoer, when you've had 6 to 7 pts on days, did you have an aide? On our floor the staff have 5 to 6 pts and it is tough. There is usually 1 to 2 aides on the floor. The management staff is telling us that other hospitals that have fewer pts/nurse do not have ANY aides. I cannot imagine having even 4 to 5 pts without an aide.

With the discharges, then admissions coming right back at you, it is almost impossible most days for the nurse to do any baths. Between all the meds., turns, vital signs, mobilizing and ambulating, drsg changes, and unforseen occurrences, I just cannot imagine being responsible for baths, too.

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Specializes in ICU, M/S,Nurse Supervisor, CNS.

I now work on a post surgical unit and typically, our ratio is 5 pts to one nurse. However, our census changes drastically from day to day, but the most patients one nurse will ever get is seven and that can be on any shift. We do have aides sometimes, but if we don't management will give us another nurse. Like today, there were 6 pts for an RN and LPN to care for. So, my unit is pretty well staffed.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.
Cheerfuldoer, when you've had 6 to 7 pts on days, did you have an aide? On our floor the staff have 5 to 6 pts and it is tough. There is usually 1 to 2 aides on the floor. The management staff is telling us that other hospitals that have fewer pts/nurse do not have ANY aides. I cannot imagine having even 4 to 5 pts without an aide.

With the discharges, then admissions coming right back at you, it is almost impossible most days for the nurse to do any baths. Between all the meds., turns, vital signs, mobilizing and ambulating, drsg changes, and unforseen occurrences, I just cannot imagine being responsible for baths, too.

AIDES? and this would be what? LOL!!!!!! In the top hospital in my area we kept getting "sorry your CNA called in sick!"...uhggggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!

Guess that is why I left Hospital nursing..I had faith in my own abilities..but knew my limits! Well..after a few MI's while I was in the shower with another resident...nope..not my thing!

Where I am working, I may not get respect, but when I say on the walkie "nurse on STAT...you will get NO answer~!"...they know me enough to know...they won't get anything unless it is another STAT..which I have had!!! GRRRRRRR! LOL, I called 9-11 and they responded to one call...and all the sudden another COPD'r went all up on me...and I called again and they came to the scene NO O2 or equipment!!! Uhgggggg...but this is the funny part...both paramedics..I baby sat them when I was younger..LOL...I saw them scramble before I said anything! LOL.....later when they brought all this equipment up..I said "dears..all I needed was a mask!" LOL!!! But hey...thanks to their protocol in my state (which limits nurses to orders not sence when it comes to O2!!!!) they were able to up the O2 to 4!~ Man that makes me so mad!!!!!!! I can turn a knob! and I know more hx then they!).

So feel and treat you CNA's and others as very precious bonuses..they go fast..and whos rear end does it fall on..ummm take a guess...they may seem like they don't respect you..demand more than a typical patient..but all in all...it is because they trust you (oh and less liablity for them..which is the deal with the job anyway...LOL!!!!!!).

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We have really good ratios. It's a surgical stepdown unit--

Days 1 RN:3 patients (NEVER more than that!)

Eves 1 RN: 4 patients (Rarely 5-with low acuity)

Nights 1 RN: 5 patients (maybe 6, but it's unusual)

After reading this forum sometimes, I NEVER take these ratios for granted!! Our NM really fights for them! And I have to tell you, I can't imagine ratios higher than that--nurses who have to take on more have my respect!

:)

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We have really good ratios. It's a surgical stepdown unit--

Days 1 RN:3 patients (NEVER more than that!)

Eves 1 RN: 4 patients (Rarely 5-with low acuity)

Nights 1 RN: 5 patients (maybe 6, but it's unusual)

After reading this forum sometimes, I NEVER take these ratios for granted!! Our NM really fights for them! And I have to tell you, I can't imagine ratios higher than that--nurses who have to take on more have my respect!

:)

I forgot to mention, 2-3 aides, depending on the census. They generally do all ADL's, among other things. I help out when they're swamped, but they're the BEST!

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
We have really good ratios. It's a surgical stepdown unit--

Days 1 RN:3 patients (NEVER more than that!)

Eves 1 RN: 4 patients (Rarely 5-with low acuity)

Nights 1 RN: 5 patients (maybe 6, but it's unusual)

:)

Wow, what's the address?! I need to get a job there. We have 1 RN: 6 patients on days and I work on an acute care med-surg unit. All of our patients are on telemetry. I manage to get 20-30 minutes for lunch. I have never taken a break. It's constant go, go ,go. Our floor layout is bad also. We have 45 beds total. I wore a pedometer for a while and averaged 17-19 miles for a 12 hour shift. It keeps my weight down but at 49 years of age it's getting hard to do. I'm trying to get into case-management.

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Five postpartum Mums and their babies.

Five post op surgical.

25+ in geriatrics.

No aides in acute care.

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Med/surg - you could have between 6 and 8 patients on days (provided no one calls in sick) OR you could be CCA (CCU) and have four patients on med/surg OR you could be OB and have four patients on med/surg. And, we have NO aides period. On nights, I have had as many as 12 patients and I just graduated in May.

Shocked? Imagine how I feel!

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Dang! ALLLE...I want to move there....

We have 7, always 7, no more, no less, no acuity ratings. If the census drops, where a few nurses have under 7, they send someone home. We have 1 aide to 10-13 patients, and a "free charge nurse". Meaning if all the nurses on the floor are maxed at 7, the "free charge" takes the remaining. I work on a med surg floor, the acuity is PHENOMENAL.

Typical day...34 bed unit, avg census..28. For 24-28- 4 nurses, (each with up to 7pts, 2 RN, 2 LPN) 1 RN-charge. 2 aides, 1 unit secretary. If census goes up to 29, and above, charge nurse takes all admits, up to 6, and that is then the unit limit! If census fluctuates, for every discharge a nurse gets, an admit is to follow, when the room is ready.

The evil number is below 24... then all nurses are maxed with 7, and the "free charge" gets the rest. It bites. Oh, and did I mention, NO REGARD TO ACUITY.... even though it IS written in policy.:angryfire

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