What is the Registered Nurse Patient Ratio at your hospital?

[LinenP]

Dear all nurses,

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.

I would love to hear from you all soon

[terri8]

My floor is a respiratory step down unit, with patients on ventilators, bipaps, tele etc. We have 1:4 unless we're short a nurse then maybe a couple nurses may have to have 5 patients.

[theseriousnurse2b]

This is based on a rural acute care hospital in the southestern USA.

Telemetry: 1 nurse to 6 patients (I have seen 7 or 8 though!), CNA takes 10 patients.

PCU: 1 nurse to 4 patients (Sometimes a nurse will have 2, 3 or 5. Depends on the staffing and acuity.), CNA takes the whole unit of 10.

CCU: 1 nurse to 2 patients. CNA takes the whole unit of 14.

CDU: 1 nurse to 4 patients.

ED: 1 nurse to 4 patients. CNA takes around 8 patients.

[kskarzin91]

Hospital in central Savannah river area in Georgia.

Medical, neuro ICU-1:1, 1:2, rarely 1:3

Step down max 1:4

MeDsurg- 1:6 sometimes 1:5 if needed like trach patients or large dressings chest tubes ect. 3 cNa on days 2 at night. 2 CNA's take 18 pt at night.

Oncology 1:5

Cardiac IcU 1:2

Cardiac stepdown :14

Cardiac med surg 1:4 no techs just a unit clerk

CDU 1:6

Er haha they staff 1:4 but rarely does that happen.

We are a magnet hospital and have a large float pool so these ratios are never exceeded. We will close a unit to admits or the hospital will go on divert. I have worked there 2 years and never been forced to take over a units max ratio.

[buffalo2122, ADN, BSN, MSN]

Med Surg/ Tele units at Flagstaff Medical Center are usually 4:1 in the day and nights are 5:1. ICU 1:2, step down 1:3.

[Xlorgguss]

Respiratory with telemetry PCU. Day shift nurses get 1:4 usually unless we are short. Overnights are 1:6

[mf299709]

No set rule but usually 1 nurse to 5-6 patients... I work in a small rural hospital on the Med surg floor... We get all surgeries, pediatrics, and chemo patients as well

[cocoa_puff]

Cardiac Progressive Care, usually 4-5 (both days and nights), although I have seen 6 on a really bad day

[Zelda, RN]

Peds med/surg. 1:2 or 1:3. Occasionally 1:4, but that doesn't happen often.

[hh.bsn.rn.ccrn]

holy moly, these numbers TERRIFY me!!

I work in California, where the unions worked to get patient ratio laws passed statewide.

in the three different hospitals I've worked, all in suburby areas, this is what I've seen:

med-surg/oncology/anywhere without tele: 1:5

any type of tele: 1:4

subICU: 1:3

any type of ICU: 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, etc as needed (highest I've seen is a 3:1)

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

ED 1:4, up to 7 at a time in fast track (lighter patients), ED obs 1:5.

[CelticGoddess, BSN, RN]

I work Onc/Palliative: Days 1:3/4/5 (depends on if anyone is on Chemo) and nights 1:5/6. Every so often (if we are down at tech at nights) we'll be 1:4.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

Publicly owned community teach hospital in the upper Midwest/

ICUs, (SICU, MICU & PICU) - 1 to 1 or 2 to 1 depending on acuity Never more.

Step down 2 to 1 or 3 to 1 depending on acuity.

Med surg (tele) 4 to 1 on days, 5 to 1 on nights. Occasionally I have seen 6 to 1 on nights but the supervisor busting butt to get them another nurse.

We have a strong union and excellent patient outcomes.