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Staffing, in the hospital's own words

Nurse-to-Patient Ratios

nurse-to-patient ratio jobs are open today, at 68 employers in states. Read every night from the job boards of the employers and agencies that post them, each with its full posting and the pay it states; the most come from Cross Country Healthcare (397), ARMStaffing (140) and Baylor Scott & White Health (83).

By kind of jobBy state →Updated 9 Nov 2026, 09:24 UTC

By unit

Nurse-to-patient ratios by kind of job

Each kind's open nurse-to-patient ratio jobs and the median hourly pay of the ones that state it (the middle of each posted range).

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      AHS StaffingTravel nursing agency

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      Places: Nurses, CNAs & PCTs, Therapy & rehab, Mental health

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      Compunnel HealthcareTravel nursing agency

      Its pages say it places RNs, LPNs and CNAs on travel, local and per diem work, allied health (PT, OT, SLP, radiology, lab, respiratory) on travel and contract, plus medical admin (billing, coding, front desk) and pharma/

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    Nurse-to-Patient Ratios by state

    Every state with nurse-to-patient ratio jobs open today. Each page lists them by kind of job.

    Employers with the most nurse-to-patient ratio jobs

    Which states set nurse staffing and overtime by law

    19 states, each from its own code, regulations or health department, read 9 Nov 2026, with the words of the law. Most set a process (a staffing committee or plan, public reporting) rather than numbers; the ratios hospitals actually staff to are in their own postings, listed above.

    StateWhat the law setsSource
    AlaskaLimits on mandatory overtimeNurses may not be required or coerced to work beyond their agreed scheduled shift, or to accept overtime they judge unsafe, except in listed emergencies (covers nurses in health care facilities).AS 18.20.400 (source: AS 18.20.400)
    CaliforniaMinimum nurse-to-patient ratios; ICU nurse-to-patient ratioGeneral 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.Cal. Code Regs. tit. 22, § 70217(a) (source: Cal. Code Regs. tit. 22, § 70217(a)); Cal. Code Regs. tit. 22, § 70217(a)(1) (source: Cal. Code Regs. tit. 22, § 70217(a)(1))
    ColoradoNurse staffing committee or planColorado hospitals must have a nurse staffing committee, 60 percent clinical staff nurses, that builds an annual master staffing plan sent to the state.C.R.S. § 25-3-128(2)(a) (source: C.R.S. § 25-3-128(2)(a))
    ConnecticutNurse staffing committee or plan; Public reporting of staffing; Limits on mandatory overtimeConnecticut hospitals must have a staffing committee, mostly direct care nurses, that develops the nurse staffing plan reported to the state twice a year.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-89e(c)(1) (source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-89e(c)(1)); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-89e(f) (source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-89e(f)); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-490l (source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-490l)
    IllinoisNurse staffing committee or plan; Public reporting of staffingIllinois hospitals must run a nursing care committee and follow a written unit-by-unit staffing plan with minimum nurse-to-patient needs.210 ILCS 85/10.10(c)(1) (source: 210 ILCS 85/10.10(c)(1)); 210 ILCS 85/10.10(c)(3) (source: 210 ILCS 85/10.10(c)(3))
    MarylandNurse staffing committee or plan; Limits on mandatory overtimeMaryland's Safe Staffing Act of 2026 requires each licensed hospital to establish a clinical staffing committee and implement a clinical staffing plan.Md. Code, Health-General §§ 19-393 to 19-397 (Chapter 235 of 2026, SB 411) (source: Md. Code, Health-General §§ 19-393 to 19-397 (Chapter 235 of 2026, SB 411)); Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. § 3-421 (source: Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. § 3-421)
    MassachusettsICU nurse-to-patient ratioEvery Massachusetts intensive care unit must assign each registered nurse one or two patients depending on stability.M.G.L. c. 111, § 231 (source: M.G.L. c. 111, § 231)
    MinnesotaPublic reporting of staffing; Limits on mandatory overtimeMinnesota hospitals must file unit core staffing plans and quarterly actual direct care hours, which the hospital association publishes.Minn. Stat. § 144.7055 subd. 3(b) (source: Minn. Stat. § 144.7055 subd. 3(b)); Minn. Stat. § 181.275 (source: Minn. Stat. § 181.275)
    New JerseyPublic reporting of staffing; Limits on mandatory overtimeNew Jersey general hospitals must post direct care staffing daily and report monthly data that the state publishes each quarter.nj.gov (source: nj.gov); N.J.S.A. 34:11-56a34 (source: N.J.S.A. 34:11-56a34)
    New YorkICU nurse-to-patient ratio; Nurse staffing committee or plan; Public reporting of staffing; Limits on mandatory overtimeNew York hospitals must assign at least one registered nurse for every two patients needing intensive or critical care.10 NYCRR § 405.22(a)(5) (source: 10 NYCRR § 405.22(a)(5)); N.Y. Public Health Law § 2805-t (source: N.Y. Public Health Law § 2805-t); N.Y. Public Health Law § 2805-t (source: N.Y. Public Health Law § 2805-t); N.Y. Lab. Law § 167 (source: N.Y. Lab. Law § 167)
    OhioNurse staffing committee or planOhio hospitals must convene a nursing care committee, at least half direct care nurses, that recommends the nursing services staffing plan (section 3727.52).Ohio Rev. Code § 3727.51(A) (source: Ohio Rev. Code § 3727.51(A))
    OregonMinimum nurse-to-patient ratios; Nurse staffing committee or planHospital nurse staffing plans must ensure unit ratios such as 1:2 in intensive care and 1:4 in medical-surgical units.ORS 441.765(2)(j) (source: ORS 441.765(2)(j)); ORS 441.762(1)(a) (source: ORS 441.762(1)(a))
    PennsylvaniaLimits on mandatory overtimeHealth care facilities may not require direct-care employees to work beyond the scheduled shift, except in unforeseeable emergencies, on-call time and procedures in progress (covers hourly or nonsupervisory employees in direct patient care or clinical care at health care facilities, including nurses).Act 102 of 2008, Prohibition of Excessive Overtime in Health Care Act, § 3 (source: Act 102 of 2008, Prohibition of Excessive Overtime in Health Care Act, § 3)
    Rhode IslandPublic reporting of staffing; Limits on mandatory overtimeRhode Island hospitals must file a core staffing plan with the health department each January listing nurses assigned per unit and shift.R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17.17-8(a) (source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17.17-8(a)); 260-RICR-30-05-4, § 4.5(A) (under R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17.20) (source: 260-RICR-30-05-4, § 4.5(A) (under R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17.20))
    TexasNurse staffing committee or plan; Limits on mandatory overtimeTexas hospitals must keep a nurse staffing committee, at least 60 percent direct care nurses, that recommends the nurse staffing plan.Tex. Health & Safety Code § 257.004(a) (source: Tex. Health & Safety Code § 257.004(a)); Tex. Health & Safety Code § 258.003 (source: Tex. Health & Safety Code § 258.003)
    VermontPublic reporting of staffingVermont hospital community reports must include nurse staffing information such as skill mix and nursing care hours per patient day.18 V.S.A. § 9405b(a)(4) (source: 18 V.S.A. § 9405b(a)(4))
    VirginiaStaffing formula for some unitsVirginia hospital regulations set numeric nursing formulas for obstetric and newborn units only, such as one nursing personnel per six to eight postpartum patients.12VAC5-410-441(J) (source: 12VAC5-410-441(J))
    WashingtonNurse staffing committee or plan; Limits on mandatory overtimeEach Washington hospital must have a staffing committee, at least half nonsupervisory direct care nursing staff, that develops the hospital staffing plan.RCW 70.41.420(1) (source: RCW 70.41.420(1)); RCW 49.28.140 (source: RCW 49.28.140)
    West VirginiaLimits on mandatory overtimeHospitals may not mandate nurse overtime, with exceptions for unforeseen emergencies, on-call time, a procedure in progress and certain union agreements; 16 hours in 24 is the cap (covers nurses in hospitals).W. Va. Code § 21-5F-3 (source: W. Va. Code § 21-5F-3)

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    Frequently asked questions

    Do nurse-to-patient ratios affect patients and nurses?

    A widely cited study of 168 Pennsylvania hospitals, 232,342 surgical patients and 10,184 nurses (Aiken and colleagues, JAMA, 2002) found that "each additional patient per nurse was associated with a 7% (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.12) increase in the likelihood of dying within 30 days of admission", and with a 23% increase in the odds of nurse burnout and 15% in job dissatisfaction. It measured an association across hospitals, not a cause at any one hospital; what a unit staffs to is in its own posting, listed here.

    Where do these nurse-to-patient ratios come from?

    From the hospitals' own job postings: a job is listed only when its posting states the ratio its unit staffs to, and the row quotes the sentence. A hospital's ratio can change with the shift and the patients' acuity, so it is what the unit says it works to, not a guarantee; ask about it at the interview.

    What is a typical nurse-to-patient ratio?

    It depends on the unit and on how sick its patients are. Each unit's page here (By unit, above) counts the ratios its own postings state, the most stated first, and every row quotes the hospital's sentence, so the figure is the hospitals' own, not an estimate. Nursing job statistics sets every unit's most stated ratio side by side.

    What do the nursing jobs that state a ratio pay?

    The nurse-to-patient ratio jobs open today that state an hourly rate post a median of $47.75 an hour for nurses (the middle of each posted range). Each row shows its posted range beside its stated ratio, so units can be compared job by job.

    Which states have nurse-to-patient ratio laws?

    California and Oregon set minimum nurse-to-patient ratios for hospital units by law; Massachusetts and New York set one for intensive care; Virginia sets staffing formulas for some units only. Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont and Washington require a nurse staffing committee, a staffing plan or public reporting instead of fixed numbers. The table on this page quotes each law from the state's own code.

    Which states limit mandatory overtime for nurses?

    Alaska, Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington and West Virginia, by their own code, limit when a nurse can be required to work beyond the scheduled shift. Each law's words, its exceptions (emergencies, on-call time, a procedure in progress) and who it covers are in the table on this page.

    Which employers have the most nurse-to-patient ratio jobs?

    Of the jobs open today, the most are at Cross Country Healthcare (397), ARMStaffing (140), Baylor Scott & White Health (83), DCH Health Care Authority (26) and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System (23).

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