Well...first of all, I need to tell that I am doing the research about the Registered Nurse to Patient Ratio for each department in the hospitals in the US. And it's necessary to refer to the hospitals in the US since I think the hospital system there is standardized and can be used as a good source of reference.
I tried searching before but found many about the theory, the abstract, the blah blah blah but no exact number of the required ratio I'm looking for.
That's why I need to ask you guys a favor on this. Please share the Registered Nurse to Patient Ratio. You may tell your department and the ratio. Telling your hospital name too would be excellent but I understand if some of you find it uncomfortable. You can even PM me or leave me a message to PM you for your privacy.
I can guarantee I won't take the information I get to do anything else but for my project only. I'm from a country in South East Asia and just need the reliable data.
Specializes in Critical Care, ER and Administration.
ICU is 2:1, Telemetry is 3:1 days and 4:1 nights, medical is 4 or 5:1. This varies at times if we can't cover holes. We do not turn patients away if we have a bed. There are also CNAs on each floor.
I'm on a med-surg unit. Our typical assignment is 4 pts, unless you have a vent then it's 3. Lately though we have had to start taking 4 pts with one being a vent or 5 and 6 pts without a vent. It all depends on staffing levels (house wide). There is really no acuity taken into account by mgmt. I know the charge nurses try to divy up assignments evenly but sometimes there is not much they can do with what they have.
We recently had our nursing staff implode, so we are working Med-Surg with as many as 10:1. I'd say the average lately is 7:1 with 2 techs. There is no closing beds or refusing assignments. We are all overwhelmed and the handful left is looking for the exit. If you live in a state that cares about nurses and patients enough to give you safe staffing, you should appreciate it!
The standard in New Zealand is supposed to be 1:12 in most wards, however the usual is 1:15 and aged care is around 1:20 (staff not just RN's). Most of our nurses get a start rate of NZD$18.40 which is only a couple of dollars more than our minimum wage.
Back in the 8o's the standard ratio was 1:7 except in more intensive areas such as Coronary Care which was 1:4
In the MICU I currently work in, assignments are either 1:1 or 1:2 depending on acuity (that's also true for the 6 others ICUs in the same hospital, I believe). We try to staff 16-18 nurses for 24 patients.
When I was working in the hospital from 2008-2013- I worked many floors. Typical for night ICU 1:2, 1:1 if hypothermia protocol. One CNA until 11, then they usually left. Usually 1 secretary who float between ICU & stepdown. Step-down unit nights- did not titrate 2 nurses had 1:4 & the other had 1:5 for a 13 bed unit. 1 CNA. Acute or med/surg nights was a 36-37 bed unit. Typical 1:5-7. You hope for at least 1 CNA but did not happen a lot since they would get reassigned to another floor or have to do 1 on 1's. Usually 1 secretary. When I first started in 2008, we worked with a RN & LPN teams usually with 10-12 pts. I thought this worked extremely well as you where a team working for your patients. I know some RN don't like this but I for one lived my LPNs & they were their with you for our patients 100%.
I am in New Jersey & the hospital is Union. Currently the union is fighting for safe staffing nursing ratios & the hospital is not budging. Has actually gotten ridiculous at this point. Hoping the Nurses get what is needed for our community as the "big wigs" are only looking at the $$$. Also from what I hear, nothing has changed in how the staff are treated- worse then ever.
lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN
940 Posts
LTACH- 1:3-4 on days, less if we're titrating drips. Pretty much always 1:4 at night, occasionally 1:3. All subject to change based on acuity.