What is the best way to find out nurse/patient ratio

[lolakbolak]

I am a new RN who has been working for a little over one year now. I work in LTAC where we get 4:1 ratio with patients being a little more complicated than your average med surg patient. I love it here but I need to move back home. I really want ICU but I am scared I am not ready for that, I think I need more med surg experience. I was wondering what is the best way to find out the patient-nurse ratio? Would it be rude if I called the nursing recruiter of each hospital and asked?

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

It was always one of my questions in an interview.

[sauconyrunner]

Not rude. It is a question that shows you have some idea of what matters in a nursing assignment! Be wary though. you need to ask also if it a firm ratio, or if it varies. I worked in an ED where the official ratio was 4:1, but occasionally (like 2 times a week) they gave us all up to 6 patients. And yes, I quit that job.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

Ditto to the second poster. Sometimes those numbers can flex when it gets crazy. I would ask a recruiter or if you know if a hospital is union it might be in the union website if it's in their contract.