What is your nurse/patient ratio?

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Hi everyone!

I wanted to get a feel for the current nurse ratios in LTC/rehab facilities. I am an ADON in a 103 bed facility. We average 15-20 rehab with an average census of 97. Our ratio is 1:30 on the 60 bed unit and 1:21 on the 43 bed unit. With acuity on the rise, how are facilities ensuring safety and success in rehab?

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

My long term 60 bed units...1:30, all stable patients plus and desk nurse and a nurse manager.

Long term 46 bed unit: 1:23 plus a desk nurse and a nurse manager

Short term (with half long term) 46 beds: 1:23 plus a desk nurse, a nurse manager, and a unit secretary.

That's the day shift. Evenings 2 nurses on each unit. Nights..1 nurse on the 2 long term units and 2 nurses on the short term unit.

It works for us.

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Sounds like your PPD is higher. We do have a unit manager for each unit but no desk nurse. Our ppd is 1.08 for nurses which includes unit managers but does not include me (adon/sdc/infection control) it's very hectic to say the least!

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Specializes in LTC, Education, Management, QAPI.

Hi again, GulfCoast! My facility is 120 bed mixed skill. On days and evenings, we are 1:30. On Nights, we are 1:60. Each unit has a unit manager and there is an RN in addition on every shift (24h/day). My NHpPD is approx. .95 on a bad day if we are full to 1.15 and CNA's run about 3.03 ppd. My skilled patients are mixed throughout, with approx. 20 at any given time throughout the building.

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Specializes in LTC, SSU, LTACH.

I work in a 120 bed LTC/SNF in FL. We have a LTC unit with 60 beds and the ratio is 1:30 an all three shifts. Our ST rehab unit has 60 beds as well and the ratio is 1:15. We are looking at adding another nurse on that unit to make the ratio 1:12 on 7-3. 3-11 the ratio is 1:15 and 11-7 is 1:20. We are also looking to hire a unit secretary for the ST rehab unit . Both of our units have Unit Managers and we have a DON and an ADON. We have shift supervisors on 3-11 and 11-7 too. Our average daily census is 115.

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I work in a 120 bed LTC/SNF in FL. We have a LTC unit with 60 beds and the ratio is 1:30 an all three shifts. Our ST rehab unit has 60 beds as well and the ratio is 1:15. We are looking at adding another nurse on that unit to make the ratio 1:12 on 7-3. 3-11 the ratio is 1:15 and 11-7 is 1:20. We are also looking to hire a unit secretary for the ST rehab unit . Both of our units have Unit Managers and we have a DON and an ADON. We have shift supervisors on 3-11 and 11-7 too. Our average daily census is 115.

That sounds fantastic! Our avg census is 98-100 and we don't have half that staff.

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Specializes in LTC, Education, Management, QAPI.

Unfortunately, I just left a company with this being one of the major concerns. It was a 30:1 nurse ratio on the floor and 1 unit manager for 60 patients. No desk nurse. It was a mixed skill unit (about 25% skilled). It is way too much and very unsafe. My new company has many, many facilities, and the standard seems to be about 12-18 skilled per nurse on skilled care or 20-25 long term per nurse on non-skilled, plus a Unit manager for each 45 patients, supervisor all shifts, and lots of support from other departments and corporate. It's quite refreshing!

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Specializes in LTC, Education, Management, QAPI.

Just for comparison, my old company PPD was generally 0.98 to 1.03 - RIDICULOUS - with only 0.23 (high average) of that being RN. My new company is much closer to DOUBLE that at average 1.9 to 2.2 NURSE (not cna, NURSE) ppd with 1.0 RN. So much better, the care truly shows! (and these is a similar skill mix from old company)

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Specializes in Nursing Leadership.

Ok, so I'm feeling really spoiled. On our rehab/long term floor, it's all mixed but we have 49 beds and 2 nurses at all times unless the census drops below 38. Then its 2 nurses on days, and 1 nurse at night. No unit secretary, just me the ADON doing my work and helping out on the floor.

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Specializes in Geriatric.

Our day shift is 2:33 and night shift, which is my shift, is 1:33.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

Ours is 1:20 on 7-3 and 1:30 on other shifts on the 60 bed units. On the 38 bed unit it is 1:38 all shifts. No desk nurse or anything like that.

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