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

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.

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?

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?

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