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Staffing, in the hospital's own words

Med-Surg Nurse-to-Patient Ratios, From Hospitals' Own Postings

203 jobs open today in 41 states. The ratio each open medical-surgical nursing job's own posting states for its unit, quoting the hospital's sentence, so you can compare what Med-Surg units say they staff to before you apply. Of the newest 150 of the 203 postings here, 1:6 is stated most often (40), then 1:5 (39) and 1:5 to 1:6 (20). Read every night from the employers' own job boards, each quoting its posting.

Median posted pay $46/hr (12 jobs that state an hourly rate)Updated 9 Nov 2026, 08:05 UTC

Which states set Med-Surg staffing by law

  • California: Minimum nurse-to-patient ratios

    General acute care hospitals must keep licensed nurse-to-patient ratios by unit, for example 1:2 in critical care and 1:5 in medical-surgical units.

    “Commencing January 1, 2005, the licensed nurse-to-patient ratio in medical/surgical care units shall be 1:5 or fewer at all times.” Cal. Code Regs. tit. 22, § 70217(a) (source: Cal. Code Regs. tit. 22, § 70217(a))

  • Oregon: Minimum nurse-to-patient ratios

    Hospital nurse staffing plans must ensure unit ratios such as 1:2 in intensive care and 1:4 in medical-surgical units.

    “In a medical-surgical unit, a direct care registered nurse is assigned to no more than four patients.” ORS 441.765(2)(j) (source: ORS 441.765(2)(j))

Each from the state's own code or regulations. Other states set a staffing committee or public reporting instead: every state's law.

Newest Med-Surg nursing jobs stating their ratio

The newest 150 of 203, newest first, each with the sentence its posting offers it in.

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Employers with Med-Surg nursing jobs stating their ratio

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Frequently asked questions

How many Med-Surg nursing jobs stating their ratio are open?

203 open today, at 26 employers in 41 states, the most in Texas (22), North Carolina (21), Virginia (12). Each row quotes the sentence its posting offers it in.

How much do these jobs pay?

12 of them state an hourly rate, with a median of $46 an hour (the middle of each posted range). The ratio is the unit's own statement in its posting; pay is the posted range.

Which employers have Med-Surg nursing jobs stating their ratio?

The employers listed on this page: each has Med-Surg nursing jobs stating their ratio open today, read from its own job board.

What nurse-to-patient ratio do Med-Surg units state?

Of the newest 150 of the 203 postings here, 1:6 is stated most often (40), then 1:5 (39) and 1:5 to 1:6 (20). Each row quotes its hospital's own sentence; a unit's ratio moves with its patients' acuity, so ask at the interview.

Which states have a Med-Surg nurse-to-patient ratio law?

California (Cal. Code Regs. tit. 22, § 70217(a)) and Oregon (ORS 441.765(2)(j)), by their own code: General acute care hospitals must keep licensed nurse-to-patient ratios by unit, for example 1:2 in critical care and 1:5 in medical-surgical units. Hospital nurse staffing plans must ensure unit ratios such as 1:2 in intensive care and 1:4 in medical-surgical units. Other states set a staffing committee or public reporting instead of numbers.