What are patient ratios like for emergency nurses?

Editorial Team / Moderator · May 28, 2017

Ratios depend on your location. Usually when you go off shift, there are incoming staffers to take your patients. The exception is for the midshift staff, like 11a-11p staff â€” the end of that shift may be when the ED is decreasing in staffing for the night, and you may have to start lobbying at 7p to find out who is taking your patients at 11p.

This was a recent interesting thread: https://allnurses.com/emergency-nursing/what-goes-on-1101064.html

You might try browsing the forum a bit, your questions are not uncommon. :)

amzyRN · May 29, 2017

I work in CA and our ratios are 4:1 in the regular acute part of the ED where I work. If you're working in the trauma/resus bay at my hospital, depending on acuity, either 2:1 or 1:1.

Nerdnurse16 · May 31, 2017

My ed is "fully staffed" during the mid shift (which is the busy time) and the ratio is 1:3. Late night/early morning the ratio is 1:4 or 1:5 depending on your room assignment. For example last night I was 1:3 from 7p-1a then 1:5 from 1a-7a. We usually really slow down after 1 so I do not often have 5 pts, but it does happen and it gets hectic. The er I did my practicum at had a 1:4 ratio and 1-2 float nurses during the mid shift.

As for the second part of your question..it really just depends. If you get a stemi or a code at 645 you are going to be very busy when your relief gets in and will probably be getting out late. If a back pain comes in at 645 they are generally fine to sit a couple minutes. If I get a room for a pt as my relief is walking in (ESPECIALLY for an icu pt), am I forced to stay and wait 10 minutes longer until the floor nurse will take report, get them ready to go, etc? No. Do I? Yes. It's the right thing to do. I rarely get out late but it does happen. You've got to have each other's backs in the ed. If I've got an iv start when day shift walks in they usually offer to do it, and I give them the same courtesy at night.

pockunit, ADN, RN · Jun 2, 2017

We are generally 1:4 from 0300- 0900 1:3 on days and afternoons. NOCs are 1:3 until 0300 unless we're short. Floats take ECG, hall pts, and if we have a trauma they generally take that pt. So it can be UG.LY for a float if there are pts in ECG and the hall and we get a trauma alert. We're working on how to divvy that up better.

Ideally, we have a float for each zone, and one overall float, but they're the first spot to go if we're short.

If someone has a heavy pt, we'll all get together in that zone and cover their other rooms for them. I love how people just jump in and GSD in our unit. We have a pretty good crew rn.

montecarlo64, ASN, BSN, LPN · Jun 2, 2017

My hospital is acute patients 4:1. ESI level 3,4,5 are 5:1. When I worked in Indiana, the ratio was 3:1, with sometimes 4:1 ratio in non-acute or stable patients. Good luck!