Whats your typical pt load?

laughnsmile · Jul 22, 2004

As primary I'll have as few as 3 and as much as 6. Today I started with 3, got 2 admits and had no unit clerk. I'm a little tired needless to say.:stone With an LPN we'll get anywhere from 6 to 9 and even if you only have a CNA you still might get 9.

Okla.Nurse · Jul 22, 2004

I work in a rural hospital.Our pt load ranges from 6 to 9. It is not unusual for me to go thru 11-12 pts in one day with admits and discharges. Talk about hell days, which seems to be every darn day. And if we do have a low census, they will send a nurse home, then we have to pick up new patients. I could really do some awesome nursing with only 3 pts. Actually have time to document pt teaching, which we do automatically, just don't have time to document it. And could make out good care plans, not that I need a care plan, I know what needs to be done, and when to do it. No one even looks at 90% of the paperwork we do anyway, except the big wigs, that don't have any idea!!

hospicemom · Jul 23, 2004

I work in a rural hospital.Our pt load ranges from 6 to 9. It is not unusual for me to go thru 11-12 pts in one day with admits and discharges. Talk about hell days, which seems to be every darn day. And if we do have a low census, they will send a nurse home, then we have to pick up new patients. I could really do some awesome nursing with only 3 pts. Actually have time to document pt teaching, which we do automatically, just don't have time to document it. And could make out good care plans, not that I need a care plan, I know what needs to be done, and when to do it. No one even looks at 90% of the paperwork we do anyway, except the big wigs, that don't have any idea!!

Boy, that really stinks...even with 4-5 pts I am working overtime just to get the paperwork done...mostly with admissions. I am such a freak with the paperwork, I dont want the day to come when I am in court and have to say...well....ya know, I DID it...just didnt have time to chart it...you know the old nursing saying....if its not dicumented, it wasnt done:)

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 23, 2004

Medical Tele. where I'm at night shift is 6:1 with CNA's on the unit. The med-surg unit I'm transferring to, med-surg trama it's 8:1. Sucks.

tanisjade · Aug 10, 2004

Just looking to find out what the typical pt load is per nurse at the hospital you work at is. At mine...its about 4 pts per nurse.

We usually have 6-9 pts and only 1 CNA on the night shift. The hospital I work at doesn't have LPN's. But have given the CNA's more duties. I don't think this is a good idea. But management thinks that we are well staffed.

adidas99 · Aug 11, 2004

On our evening shift, typically we get 5-6 pts, with a CNA down each hall(each hall has like 18 pts).

lossforimagination · Aug 17, 2004

Do you mean that you are actually expected to "make out care plans" as well as start with 6 - 9 patients? Unbelievable! I'd revolt over that.

I'm familiar with starting with that many patients; but where I work now, the care plan crap is generated when the admission info goes into the computer. Also, the charting is computerized and the charge nurse does the admission entry and care plan.

It works much better on the floor when you don't have to do all the admission paperwork while trying to take care of 8 patients. In fact, I don't think I'll ever work anywhere again where the conditions are as you describe.

I recall working a day shift once (I normally worked nights) in which we started with 8 patients per nurse and had no PCA working that day. I immediately got hit with 4 discharges, one after the other and then started to get admissions, one after another. It was massive nonstop paperwork. Do you think my original remaining 4 patients got any care? If it weren't for the student nurses we fortunately had on the floor that day, believe me, the patients would've had no care, no meds, no bath, no feeding, no nothing. All this while the charge nurse sat on her *** and who knows where the unit manager was. I ended up charting on 12 patients that day and decided no way I'll put up with this BS again. If it ever happens again, management will hear from me, I'll be telling them this can't possibly be done, that students are not staff and they better beg, borrow or steal some staff NOW. Unfortunatley, that hospital wasn't the worst I'd ever worked for.

I work in a rural hospital.Our pt load ranges from 6 to 9. It is not unusual for me to go thru 11-12 pts in one day with admits and discharges. Talk about hell days, which seems to be every darn day. And if we do have a low census, they will send a nurse home, then we have to pick up new patients. I could really do some awesome nursing with only 3 pts. Actually have time to document pt teaching, which we do automatically, just don't have time to document it. And could make out good care plans, not that I need a care plan, I know what needs to be done, and when to do it. No one even looks at 90% of the paperwork we do anyway, except the big wigs, that don't have any idea!!

perksrn · Aug 20, 2004

Four pts would be devine. Not to say it wouldnt be hard work, I know its always work. I am a new grad and within the third week I had 5-6 patients and 6-7 on nights. It has been so overwhelming that I don't know if I can handle it. We are required to chart 8,12,4,6 and any procedures and a free text note on each patient. AGGGH. Honestly I have started having panic attacks at night. It sucks.

memphispanda, RN · Aug 20, 2004

I work night shift. We typically have 7 pts for RN, 8 for LPN. If we are short we will have 8 or 9. 44 pts on the floor, considered fully staffed with 7 nurses (one at the desk) and 2 medical assistants. Honestly, once I got a routine down it's not that bad, although 9 pts can be horrendous.

GeeBeeRN · Aug 28, 2004

In California, there was a new law that passed as of January 1st about ratios. On Med/Surg, an RN can have no more than 6 patients (day or night shift). In one hospital I work at, we phase-out the nurse assistants and shifted to primary care. The nurse assistant are now utilized as "runners" or "unit assistants" where they take vitals, stock, run labs and other non-patient care duties.

At another hospital I work at, we average 4-5 patients each (night shift). Day shift RNs can get up to 6 but only if they are partnered with a nurse assistant. In January '05, Caifornia's Med/Surg ratio will be 5:1. This particular hospital that I work for has chosen to implement the 5:1 ratio ahead of time which I think has worked well for us. Only once or twice have I had 6 patients since the new 6:1 ratios kicked in but that was because someone called in sick and we were really short.

In my opinion, the 5:1 ratio really really makes a difference but overall, it truly depends on the acuity of your patients. I had 4 patients one night and I was non-stop running around. Sure, it was only 4 patients but it was a heavy load. Just had to throw that in.

lossforimagination · Aug 29, 2004

Do you mean that since the new ratios became law and NA's were phased out that you have to do ALL patient care duties? Seems to me that wouldn't be much improvement in workload if you have 4 - 6 total care patients and you must do all bathing/cleaning/feeding and potty duties....... as well as chart, admit, give meds, IV's etc!!!!!!

In California, there was a new law that passed as of January 1st about ratios. On Med/Surg, an RN can have no more than 6 patients (day or night shift). In one hospital I work at, we phase-out the nurse assistants and shifted to primary care. The nurse assistant are now utilized as "runners" or "unit assistants" where they take vitals, stock, run labs and other non-patient care duties.
At another hospital I work at, we average 4-5 patients each (night shift). Day shift RNs can get up to 6 but only if they are partnered with a nurse assistant. In January '05, Caifornia's Med/Surg ratio will be 5:1. This particular hospital that I work for has chosen to implement the 5:1 ratio ahead of time which I think has worked well for us. Only once or twice have I had 6 patients since the new 6:1 ratios kicked in but that was because someone called in sick and we were really short.
In my opinion, the 5:1 ratio really really makes a difference but overall, it truly depends on the acuity of your patients. I had 4 patients one night and I was non-stop running around. Sure, it was only 4 patients but it was a heavy load. Just had to throw that in.