Typical peds ratio

Just curious if you're a floor nurse what is your typical ratio? Are you in a children's hospital or just a peds floor of a general hospital? What part of the country are you in?

Just trying to get an idea of what is a "normal" ratio for floor peds nurses.

[WoosahRN, MSN, RN]

Normal ratio for the general peds floor is 4:1. Can be 3:1 if patient is a heavy teaching patient (new diabetic, new trach). My last hospital they were going to 5:1 but have techs who do all I/Os and vitals. I have worked in two pediatric hospitals full time over the last 9 years as well as two other peds hospitals with PRN jobs and this is typical at all of them and in two different states. Two states are on West coast, North and South locations. ICU is 2:1 or 1:1.

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

When I did my peds clinical at a large well known hospital on the east coast, the ratio was 1:3.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

3:1 days, 4:1 nights. Large nationally ranked pediatric hospital, Northeastern US. ICUs and stem cell transplant have lower ratios.

[mysonsmama]

My peds CVICU/PICU/NICU is 1:1 or 1:2. Step down and heme/onc is 1:3. The floor is 1:4

[sergel02, BSN]

Interestingly enough the ratio at the local children's hospital is 4:1, even with oncology patients. In the other major pediatric area that's not a children's hospital, it's 4:1 but 3:1 for heme/onc kids.

I kind of wish we had a step down unit in the area. I think 3:1 seems like the ideal load of patients.

[GE90]

gen peds floor

1:4 day, 1-4/5 pm, 1-6 night

depends on the acuity, sometimes we have 1:1

[sergel02, BSN]

I wonder why the ratio is generally lower than adults. Maybe since it takes more time to give meds or assess or get vitals?

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

1:3 or 1:4 depending on the kids.

Kids generally take a bit more time than adults.

[AdobeRN]

1:4 or 1:3 depending on acuity at a community hospital with a med/surg peds floor.