Nurses make up the largest group of team members employed at Southeast Health. We have 845 Registered Nurses (RNs), 131 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and 237 unlicensed assistive personnel (i.e., Patient Care Assistants, Nurse Techs). There are 441 RNs with associate degrees, 304 with bachelor’s degrees, 27 with master’s degrees, and 73 Advance Practice Providers. There are also 237 RNs who have a nationally recognized certification in addition to their licensure.

Nursing leaders make every effort to ensure optimal staffing for patient care. In that effort, nursing leaders benchmark quarterly with a nationally recognized nursing database and peer hospitals to set and/or adjust staffing goals. Nurse-to-patient ratios are based on the acuity of illness of the patient as determined by the patient classification system, as well as nursing judgment. The ratios vary from 1 nurse to 1 patient in the critical care setting to 1 nurse to 7-8 patients on night shift on units with stable patients preparing to transition home.

There is an ongoing effort by nursing leaders to assess and analyze staffing needs. Staffing targets are adjusted when changing needs are identified.