Patient Ratios and Region

1 I was curious to find out what your typical Med-Surg ratios are during day and night and what state you are in. I know there was another post a year or two ago about ratios but I don't think it asked the state. I ask because my new employee orientation training has had mostly nurses from other areas. A few of the facilitators came from other areas as well. It seems to be a trend that certain regions have higher ratios overall. Also seems the new grad experience was much "harsher" too. One facilitator has been a nurse for a long time and was a Police officer and homicide detective before nursing and said that was nothing compared to how brutal nursing was. He also said his first year as a new grad was hell and he had a high patient ratio, that when he moved here and they warned him what our ratios might be that he was shocked with how "low" the ratios were.

I know ICU is a smaller ratio, usually 1:2 and that seems to be pretty common everywhere but I am amazed at some of the ratios I read here. I have only been on the other side of healthcare since living in my current state and I have been in two healthcare companies and seen their ratios. Which are pretty similar and the nurses rarely have what you are told you CAN have. Only times I have seen them have the "max" amount we are told of is if it's a new admission towards the end of shift.

So anyway, I was just curious if there seems to be any correlation between the ratios and the part of the country you are in. Last edit by ~Mi Vida Loca~RN on Jul 8, '11
what are your ratios and location?

here in Miami, FL I work for a union med surg tele mix... are max is 6 during day and 7 at night in this area i have worked at many HCA facilities that give you nine as a norm..in tele med surg mix floor as well and once was asked to take 10

One facility that has 2 hospitals locally is 3-4 during the day per policy (never saw more then 3 unless an admit came at end of shift) and up to 5 at night. Another hospital that is 2 hospitals locally is 4-5 during day and 5-6 at night.(per policy) I have never seen more then 4 patients during day and I didn't do night clinicals at this facility. I now have a night shift job and we had 3 patients. (preceptor and I) This was a Peds floor that will take adult surgery short stay overflow (under 48 hrs) there was only 6 patients total which only 1 was a peds so each nurse had 3 on the night shift. This is in CO

Ive had as many as 8. Least was 4. I work nights on MedicalKansas.

Trauma/Surgery/Tele floor in MI. Nights 6-11, Days 4-8 and once I had 9. Most came from SI. No maximum. If a bed was empty you were getting the patient no matter how many nurses you had.

4-5 on days. 5-6 on nights. Indiana

Quote from kool-aide4-5 on days. 5-6 on nights. Indiana

Med Surg in Northeast Florida Day was 6pts (One CNA for every 12 pts) and for nights its was 6 to 8/9 (one CNA for everyone and they double as the unit secretary), and we are one of the only ones that have this ratio. I know where my friend works she can have anywhere up to 8 during the day shift without an aide if they are not considered total care patients.

4-5 on days and 5 on nights (very, very rarely we will get 6 on nights). Med/ surg with geriatrics "specialty." In DC.

5:1 day/evening, 6-7:1 at night for med/surg. The acute rehab unit at night has a ratio of 7-8:1 at night (same 5:1 ratio during the day/evening). I am in New Hampshire.

6:1 days, med surg IL. Nights 7-8

County hospital in Fort Worth, TX: Med/surg - 5:1 on days, 6:1 on nightsSmall regional hospital in Weatherford, TX: Med/surg - 6:1 on days, 7:1 to 8:1 on nightsI work at an acute rehab hospital. Ratios vary from 6:1 to 12:1 on both days and nights. I have had up to 13 patients.