Work out nurse to patient ratio instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
Divides patients by nurses for the staffing ratio and converts the rostered hours into nursing hours per patient, the measure used in workforce planning.
Staffing ratio
Patients per nurse = patients / nurses; nursing hours per patient = nurses x shift hours / patients
Educational estimate only. Not a substitute for professional clinical judgement, and must not be used to make treatment or dosing decisions.
California sets 1:5 on medical-surgical wards and 1:2 in intensive care; most systems use guidance rather than law.
It captures skill mix and shift length, which a headcount ratio alone misses.