WA state nursing-pt ratios

JoeyDog · Nov 11, 2006

My husband works on a med-surg floor in western Wa and he has anywhere from 5-6 patients depending on acuity. I worked at two different hospitals in Tacoma,Wa as a CNA and the med surg nurses at those places had about 5-6 patients each. I think that is pretty much average for western Wa. Of course I am not a nurse (yet) so I can't speak from personal experience. Hope that helps!

tntrn, ASN, RN · Nov 11, 2006

I work in a Birth Center, which really should be called a Women's Center as we take all the gyn surgeries in addition to labor, postpartum, antepartum and readmit bili lights. Except for labor, which we try to keep at 1:1, the floor staffing is 8:1. Now that 8 might be 4 couplets, which usually is manageble. However, it might include 2 fresh c/s; plus 4 others, at least 2 of which guaranteed will have just come down from OR and guaranteed will have unbelievable problems with pain management or something. Ask me how I know.

WE just started our contact negotiations and once again observed the "deer in the headlights" looks from across the table...which by the way, is inhabited by another whole new set of faces, except for their attorney. On our side, it's same old, and I do mean that in the most respectful way since it includes me, bunch of nurses. We've all been there for at least 3 contracts and some many more than that.

badtz143 · Nov 16, 2006

I work in a Birth Center, which really should be called a Women's Center as we take all the gyn surgeries in addition to labor, postpartum, antepartum and readmit bili lights. Except for labor, which we try to keep at 1:1, the floor staffing is 8:1. Now that 8 might be 4 couplets, which usually is manageble. However, it might include 2 fresh c/s; plus 4 others, at least 2 of which guaranteed will have just come down from OR and guaranteed will have unbelievable problems with pain management or something. Ask me how I know.
WE just started our contact negotiations and once again observed the "deer in the headlights" looks from across the table...which by the way, is inhabited by another whole new set of faces, except for their attorney. On our side, it's same old, and I do mean that in the most respectful way since it includes me, bunch of nurses. We've all been there for at least 3 contracts and some many more than that.

Hi! Very curious new grad here......so in L&D, ratio is 1:1???? Do you know anything about the L&D ratio at the Valley Medical Center or Evergreen Health Care in Kirkland???? Thanks!!

jollygreenRN · Nov 17, 2006

Med surg floor expect 6-7 patients with a CNA.

Sheridan80 · Apr 30, 2007

yeah I would tend to agree 5-6 on the average rarely 1:7, with exception

of one Hospital here in Tacoma,actually Lakewood. they often have an

an acuity of 1:8-10. (well I should qualify that , with a Team leader Rn

and an LPN,still with a high acuity, I really don't feel it's safe.)

RN130 · Jun 24, 2007

Washington does not have Ratios -- when we tried for staffing legislation this year we really wanted acuity based staffing. Staffing based on the needs of the patients...What a concept.

Our profit driven hospital has instituted a average/budget based system called the "Matrix" (remember the movie--where all the evil people are).. ahem...

Any way I work in L&D and we get the same number of staff for 12 patients regardless of wether there are 10 "couplets" and 2 labor patients or 6 labor patients and 6 couplets!!! We have not been able to get management to back off their budget based staffing. Probably because they are making too much money on it.

Our nurses are quitting left and right...