Nurses Please?!?! Working conditions!?

I am an LPN. I live and work in Arkansas. My question is regarding work standards. Lets say you work in an acute hospital setting. How many patients are you required to care for? Me and my sister both work at a 450 bed hospital and now they are making us take up to 10-12 patients a night! When we started there a night nurse had at most 8 patients but now they are saying it is safe to take 12! Mind you these are post-op's, acute respiratory, etc.... How would you feel about that and what is the most your place requires you? It just doesn't feel safe taking on that many and we've had numerous nurses walking out or quitting! And then they replace them with new grad's that are scared to death as they haven't really done patient care by themselves before! Please let me know what you think..

The bad thing is we have three hospitals and they are the same situation! Nursing homes here require you to have at least 40 residents during dayshift, 60 at 3-11 and 90 on 11-7! But, it is better pay and more staff.. Hospital pay is @ 11.50 hourly for experienced LPN's!

I am also an LPN,and the "nursing crisis"is setting the standards now.If you all are uncomfortable with the situation,you should give written notices and seek employment elsewhere.You are in a dangerous place,when you work with new grads you are assuming the responsibility for their actions as well as their patients care.We both know you can get a job in a short time.Spare yourself!It will not change unless it gets worse.