The ratio of nursing staff to doctors in a community health center is 5:2. If there are 14 doctors currently working at the center, what is the total number of nursing staff?

1. A

   28

2. B

   35

3. C

   49

4. D

   70

Appeared in: NORCET 8 Prelims-2025

Explanation

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• The problem states a ratio of 5 nursing staff for every 2 doctors.
• This relationship can be set up as a proportion: 5/2 = x/14, where 'x' is the number of nurses.
• To find the scaling factor, divide the known number of doctors (14) by the doctor part of the ratio (2), which equals 7.
• Multiply the nursing staff part of the ratio (5) by this scaling factor (7) to find the total number of nurses.
• The calculation is 5 * 7 = 35.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: This is an incorrect calculation. It might result from assuming a 2:1 or 4:2 ratio (14 * 2 = 28) instead of the given 5:2 ratio.
• Option C: This result may come from incorrectly multiplying the scaling factor (7) by itself (7 * 7 = 49) instead of multiplying it by the correct part of the ratio (5).
• Option D: This is an intermediate value in the cross-multiplication method (5 * 14 = 70). The calculation is incomplete as this value still needs to be divided by 2.

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Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: Knowing Ratio and Proportion helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
• Understanding ratios is fundamental for nurse managers and administrators for safe and effective staff allocation.
• Proper staffing ratios are mandated by various guidelines and are crucial for ensuring patient safety, reducing medical errors, and managing staff workload.
• This skill is also used in medication dosage calculations, where ratios are used to determine the correct amount of a drug to administer based on patient weight or concentration.

How to Approach the Question

• First, carefully read the question to identify the given ratio (nursing staff to doctors = 5:2) and the known quantity (14 doctors).
• Recognize that this is a proportion problem where you need to find an unknown quantity that maintains the same ratio.
• Set up an equation to represent the proportion. Let 'x' be the unknown number of nurses: 5/2 = x/14.
• Solve for 'x'. You can either cross-multiply (2 * x = 5 * 14) or find the scaling factor (14 ÷ 2 = 7) and apply it to the other part of the ratio (5 * 7).
• Calculate the final value of 'x', which is 35.
• Compare your result with the given options to select the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Ratio and Proportion
• Stem keywords: ratio, nursing staff, doctors, community health center
• Lead-in keywords: what is the total number
• Clinical cues: The care setting changes urgency, monitoring level, and the expected nursing action.
• Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

QKFAT1B10v-6M1JiEaPPYl

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