Work in LTC ? - Does this nurse to patient ratio sound right ?

DizzyLizzyNurse · Jul 8, 2012

Yes this is typical. When I worked nights as an LPN I was alone on a floor of 43.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Jul 8, 2012

Yup. And it isn't that bad. They are generally sleeping and your a.m. med pass will probably be a lot of Synthroid, Fosamax and Prilosec.

:)

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jul 8, 2012

Moved to our Geriatric Nurses / LTC Nursing forum.

JZ_RN · Jul 8, 2012

I had somewhere between 20 and 55 in LTC and it was never easy. It's just plain too much and unsafe. If 2 people have an emergency what do you do when you're the only nurse available? LTC needs serious reform. I quit LTC because of the dangers to my license and the fact that I can't give the good care I want to when I have too many patients like that. Bless those willing to risk it but I am not comfortable like that. Even in daycares caregivers don't have that many kids. If a classroom has over 30 kids, there's an outrage about too many for the teacher to handle. she just has to get them all to behave, we're RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY of more than that, with a million meds to pass, treatments to give, deal with families, deal with orders and MDs, phone calls, pharmacy, cleaning, the list goes on. LTC was nothing but a nightmare for me.

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Jul 9, 2012

For 11-7, this sounds like heaven. I norm had 48-50 on 11-7 at one place and at another around 70.

laderalis · Jul 10, 2012

We have 2 nurses on NOC for 73 residents and it works out well. We have 4-5 CNA's on, too. How many CNA's would be on? It matters tremendously!

buytheshoes11, MSN, RN · Jul 14, 2012

This is typical for most facilities. When I worked NOCs I had anywhere from 35 - 45 residents. It is manageable though! You'll come up with a system that works for you.

BrandonLPN, LPN · Jul 14, 2012

I have 49 on 3-11, so your ratio sounds good to me! As someone said, most of your pts will (hopefully) be sleeping. And quality LTC facilities won't schedule meds/treatments in the middle of the night. This violates the residents' rights.

allnurses Guide · Jul 14, 2012

I have 54 by myself on 11-7. It **sucks**, especially since every woman in that dang place AND

some of the men, are on Synthroid. Plus I only have two CNA's.

BrandonLPN, LPN · Jul 14, 2012

It's silly to wake everyone up at 5 or 6 am to give a stupid synthroid. We've been giving everyone their synthroid along with 8am meds on 1st shift for years. And guess what? Their TSH levels have ALWAYS been 100% therapeutic. I don't give a flip what theta stupid med handbook says, it is FINE to give synthroid close to breakfast.

nightstalkerRN · Jul 15, 2012

I regularly have 51 patients every night but have had as much as 103 all to myself for the greater part of month. Its very manageable when most are sleeping. But when you have dementia patients that are up and are a danger to themselves and/or elopment risks, hospice patients at the very end of their journey, fresh surgeries out of the local hospital that no longer has a post surgical skilled unit of their own... it can be interesting. Don't ever let anyone tell you night shift doesn't work as hard as any other shift.

Besides, in my facility night shift gets all the paperwork that no other shift wants and all the follow up on physician's orders and pharmacy issues, even though no one is awake to respond to our faxes.

Also don't ever believe that LTC nurses don't use just as much "critical thinking" and assessment skills as any other area.

I think it takes a special kind of nurse and a specially developed skill set to truly excel at LTC.