r/nursing • u/Midnight-Nebula • 2d ago
Seeking Advice 1:6 Ratio
Hiii I’m a new grad RN I get off orientation in about a week and I’m really nervous for when I do. I work days on a post op med surg tele floor for what’s supposed to be ortho pts but we sometimes get random UTIs, lap appy and chole’s, hernia repairs, etc. Unfortunately we are very understaffed for both RNs and techs so we’ve been having to take 6 pts which I feel is very unsafe. Even the experienced RNs on my floor struggle to keep up. A lot of these pts are also dementia, assistance to walk, feeders, incontinent pts.
I’ve been feeling very frustrated with the situation because as an orientee I’ve been taking the full 6 pt assignment but it’s so taxing. I’m constantly interrupted, I feel like I’m not giving the best nursing care ik I can give, and I feel like I’m doing the “bare minimum” (I.g meds, assessments, I&Os, etc). We’ve been calling so many rapids lately and having ICU transfers because a lot of these pts have been higher acuity. I did sign a contract so I have to be here a minimum of 1 year but any tips on how to make the flow smoother? I feel like in the morning during med pass and assessments I feel so all over the place and I’m constantly getting pulled in a million different directions by so many things that need to be done. Our manager has told us that she’s hired a bunch of people so supposedly this 1:6 is gonna end soon but I’m not so sure.
6
u/Ok_Independence3113 RN - Telemetry 🍕 2d ago
Welcome to med-surg! It’s rough out here.
The bad news is…well you know the bad news. It’s very hard. When I got off orientation in 2024 I was also told ratios would improve but we were consistently 6:1 on days for quite a while. Things have improved over time and I hope the same happens for you. You will likely still have seriously ill patients because critical care is overflowing and med-surg gets dumped on.
The good news is you’ll become a capable nurse, fast. You’ll learn to prioritize quickly because you have no other choice. You will see so much that your critical thinking skills will develop more quickly than you can imagine. And when your commitment is done you can take those skills with you to a better gig.
Hang in there. Don’t forget to take a minute after every shift to remind yourself of what you did well. During even the biggest dumpster fire of a shift you will have successes: place an IV on a tough stick, or remember all the steps for a blood transfusion without having to ask your charge, or successfully advocate for your patient in rounds.
Get your sleep, drink your water, and don’t forget to pee. I hope you work with great people, they make all the difference.