What are the staffing ratios in your state?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hey all, California new RN grad here. Just wondering, if I have to move out of state to find a job, what are the patient to nurse ratios like in different states? Here in California, we have mandated maximum ratios. For example: Med-Surg is 5 to 1, Telemetry is 4:1, Stepdown is 3:1, ICU is 2:1, etc.

What are yours? And, if you have high ratios, how do you manage such a high volume of patients? Also, what is the salary range for your state vs. the cost of living?

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I'd hate to break this news to you, but California is the only state in the union that has legally mandated nurse/patient ratios for acute care facilities. The other states do not yet have any ratios.

While I'm originally from California, I moved to Texas in 2005. The starting pay for a newly graduated RN in the Dallas area is between $22 and $25 hourly at the major hospitals, up to $31 at nursing homes, and in the $23 to $28 hourly range at small specialty rehab hospitals.

While the wages in Texas might seem low to someone who is from California, keep in mind that nurses live nicely on $25 hourly in Texas as a result of the lower cost of living here. I drive two newer vehicles, live in a newer construction house that is almost 1,900 square feet and cost in the $100k range, and always have money for extras or savings. By the way, I'm a single female with no spouse or boyfriend to help me out with my bills, and I'm still living rather comfortably on my "low pay."

OP, outside of Cali it can be whatever the hospital wants. In my local area (northern midwest) dependent on the hospital, some are 5-6 others can be 8-10. I have even heard of a recent change up to 13? I don't quite know if I believe that one. Those nurses at the 8-10 hospital are paid slightly more, but the hospital has a not so hot rep. They are a huge national chain.

Specializes in GU/surgical, Bariatrics, Endoscopy.

I make about $25/hr here in Texas, but usually end up around $30 or more with shift diff. I'm not supposed to have more than 5 patients per shift but have had as many as 7. I work days. 7 patients at night is the norm. The ratios are scary and our grid does not include acuity. The cost of living is super cheap compared to a lot of other states. I can pay for two new cars and a new house with most the bills on my pay check.

I don't live in med surg and rarely float there, but in NW OH

Med Surg in the past I have had 6:1, but have heard of 8pts w/ an LPN

Intermediate on MY floor is 3 or 4:1 (we are the only intermediate where we are allowed to have 3:1 b/c we have vents. Other floors have 4:1).

ICU is 2 or 1:1

Indiana here, and this is hospital matrix, not anything to do with state.

Nights, my floor, max of 5, typically 4, sometimes 3 (specialized med-surg floor).

Most med surg floors- max of 6, typically 4-5

Telemetry- max of 4 or 5 (not sure), typically 4 (staffing issues)

Step-down- max of 3

ICU max of 2, and sometimes 1:1

Specializes in Geriatrics, Adult Psych, Peds HH.

Illinois: long term care.

Night shift: up to about 60 patients

Days/Evenings: About 20-30

Salary: surprisingly good for the area. LPNs about 25/hr and RNs about 30/hr

Specializes in critical care, med-surge.

Northern Florida

medical-surgical floor: days 5-6:1 nights 6-7:1

progressive care unit (cardiac) and pediatrics 4:1

Intermediate care (ICU step down) 3:1

ICU 2:1

These ratios vary depending on the acuity of the patients. If an ICU patient needs 1:1 care they get it, however if they have a unit filled with patients waiting transfers out they may have 3:1 temporarily. We check staffing and acuity every 4 hours and adjust accordingly. We have a large flexible float pool of nurses of varying experience.

I am curious to know how many nursing assistants everyone has.

We typically have 10:1 on days and 16:1 on nights. ICU usually has 20:1 days and nights.

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

I don't think this is state wide, but our local hospital is 3:1 in the day, 4:1 in the evening and 4-5:1 for overnight for regular floors, ICU is 2:1 I believe.

Although out of all my clinical shifts I never saw a nurse have more than 3 patients unless she was getting a new admit to do right before shift change so it was for about an hour.

I was on the floor from 2pm-11pm and I was on Med/Surge, Surge, Medical and Neuro during that time. The peds floor was so slow that the nurses never had more then 1-2 kids but when they are busier that isn't the norm.

The average starting pay is 23 dollars per hour in the area and the cost of living is a little high, not SanDiego or other big CA city highs but higher than a lot of comparable size areas.

I am in Fort Collins

i make about $25/hr here in texas, but usually end up around $30 or more with shift diff. i'm not supposed to have more than 5 patients per shift but have had as many as 7. i work days. 7 patients at night is the norm. the ratios are scary and our grid does not include acuity. the cost of living is super cheap compared to a lot of other states. i can pay for two new cars and a new house with most the bills on my pay check.

how's that linzy if u work days? what's the shift differential you get? weekends?

Specializes in Obs & gynae theatres.

I wish we had official ratios in the UK. On a typical ward it will be 28 patients with 2 nurses and if lucky up to 4 healthcare support workers. If it's a 'well run' ward you may also have a co-ordinator too.

I have 2 jobs. At one job we have up to 6pts per nurse or if there is an IV cert LPN the LPN takes her own 6, so the RN has 6 + keeping an eye on the LPN's 6. We have an aid for about every 6 pts and a unit secretary for the whole unit. At this job I make $21.00 with 4 years experience + shift diff. but no charge pay.

At my other job we used to take up to 6, but lately its been 7. There is no unit secretary on evenings. For 5-12pts there is one aid. If there is less that 5 pts there is no aid and the nurse is all alone. Here I make $22 and about average $4-$6 in shift diff and charge pay.

I live in Kansas as you can see the pay is very low compared to other places, but the cost of living is low too. I have a nice 3 bedroom ranch style house and large back yard for $90,000. The entery pay is higher then most non-hospital jobs around here.

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