A hospital has 1200 total beds. If 35% of the beds are reserved for intensive care units (ICU), how many beds are non-ICU beds?

Appeared in: NORCET 8 Prelims-2025

Explanation

The question asks for the number of non-ICU beds.
If 35% of beds are for the ICU, the remaining percentage (100% - 35% = 65%) must be for non-ICU purposes.
To find the number of non-ICU beds, calculate 65% of the total beds.
Calculation: 1200 × 0.65 = 780.

Option A: This is the number of ICU beds (1200 × 0.35 = 420), not the number of non-ICU beds.
Option C: This value is an incorrect calculation. For example, it might result from incorrectly calculating 70% of 1200 (1200 x 0.70 = 840). The correct percentage for non-ICU beds is 65%.
Option D: This value is an incorrect calculation. It appears to confuse the percentage (65%) with the actual number of beds.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Prioritize focused assessment, early escalation, and real-time monitoring when managing Percentage Calculation in a Healthcare Setting in acute care settings.
While a basic math problem, understanding bed capacity and distribution is fundamental for hospital administration, resource allocation, and disaster preparedness—areas where nurse leaders are often involved.
Nurse managers use these calculations for daily staffing assignments, ensuring patient-to-nurse ratios are met for different acuity levels (ICU vs. general wards).
What if? If a public health emergency required the hospital to increase its ICU capacity to 50%, a nurse manager would need to calculate that 600 beds (1200 x 0.50) would be needed for the ICU, and plan for the necessary staffing and equipment reallocation.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key numbers and what they represent: Total beds = 1200, ICU bed percentage = 35%.
Next, clarify what the question is asking for: the number of non-ICU beds.
Recognize that 'non-ICU' represents the portion of beds that is not the 35% designated for the ICU.
Calculate the percentage of non-ICU beds: 100% (total) - 35% (ICU) = 65% (non-ICU).
Apply this percentage to the total number of beds: 1200 × 65% (or 0.65) = 780.
Before selecting an answer, double-check that you haven't accidentally chosen the number of ICU beds (420), which is a common distractor.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Percentage Calculation in a Healthcare Setting
Stem keywords: hospital, total beds, 1200, 35%, intensive care units (ICU), non-ICU beds
Lead-in keywords: how many
Clinical cues: The care setting changes urgency, monitoring level, and the expected nursing action.

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