How many employees can a nurse supervise effectively in a long-term care setting?

Answer 1

You will have to be more specific. As a nursing home administrator, I like a ratio of 3 Nurses (RN, LPN) and no more than 5 CNA's under the charge nurse. However, our Director of Nursing is in charge of 32 total full and part-time. We only have 50 beds. A home with 120 beds would require significantly more as well as a psychiatric long term care home. When I was in the Navy each charge nurse supervised only 3 employees. State laws dictate how many hands on hours nurses have to spend with long term care residents. Having said that if the long-term care setting is a more residential living center where the majority of residents are ambulatory and some even drive then the number of total nurses is significantly reduced requiring a nurse to supervise few employees. Alot of variables to consider. A nurse could effectively supervise 20 if it was a clinic setting. I think it would depend on the work atmosphere and the stress load.

Answer 2

12 is the span of control. i don't know specifically about nurses but in general i would say 12. unless she has supervisors under her - she should not have more than 12 supervisors reporting to her.
see how that span of control thing works?

Answer 3

Do you mean for one shift?

Does she have people under her managing some of them?

I'm not in long term care, but my supervisor is a nit wit and can barely manage herself.

What's the real question....are they making you watch too many people or is your boss incompetent?

Answer 4

You obviously should not be a nurse supervisor if you have to ask a stupid question. Questions like this drive me nuts!!!