What is your usual nurse-patient ratio in your unit?

[extreme]

Dear fellow nurses!

If it is ok with you, please specify the hospital and its location and the usual nurse-patient ratio in your unit where you are presently working. This may serve as an information for every nurses for whatever purpose this may help everyone.

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

I also work in a large teaching hospital in MI. I currently work Neuro ICU where I have just finished my orinetation. We have 1-2 patients depending on acuity. Max is 3 and I haven't seen anyone with 3 patients since starting there. We are usually well staffed and able to be 1:1 as needed.

When I worked in med surg at a smaller community hospital (same system I work in now.) I would have 6-7 patients on the 3-11p shift. Some days six was totally manageable and some days not. Depending on unit acuity. Days also had 6-7, and MN had 8-10. No monitors on this unit.

At my first position (teaching hospital also different system.), we had 10-11 pts on 7p-7a shift. We had 1 aide for 32 pts. Nurse did all VS except for temps. All accuchecks also. I could have 6/11 patients on monitors. Assiginments were very heavy and I always felt like I was drowning. We had 6-8 on the 7a-7p shift.

[Kait]

On the surgical ward, 6:1 with one LPN shared between four nurses. On the medical ward, 8:1 but you have your own LPN for part of the day.

[All_Smiles_RN]

I work at a Level I Trauma center in the cardiac PCU. 4 patient load, day and night shift. I absolutely love it here because my nurse mgr will close beds rather than increase the assignment.

[RN NascarFan, RN]

I hear ya!!! I thought we worked in the same place until I saw you were from Ga!

Ditto...........Upstate NY here

[incublissRN, BSN, RN]

I'm from Indiana and I work on a cardiovascular thoracic recovery unit in a teaching hospital. The open hearts are usually 1:1 until extubated. Typical assignment is 2:1 but that depends on acuity (CVVHD, IABP, VAD, etc.)

[midnightRN]

On the med/surg floors we have up to 6 on days and pms, then up to eight or nine (rare, but possible) on nights. In the ER we have 12 rooms and typically 2 RNS, a tech, and a triage nurse if it's really busy. ICU will have 1 or 2 ICU patients, or up to four telemetry beds; they can mix and match ICU and tele, but if they have a high acuity pt., they can over-ride for more staff. OB has thier own staffing grid based on labors and mom-baby. I still need the grid to figure out it out. I work at a small rural hospital in Wisconsin.

[extreme]

Thanks a lot for sharing those informations.