Final answer:
To estimate the number of nurses needed using proportions for a wing with 20 patients, one needs to know the standard nurse-to-patient ratio. If the standard is 1:5, then 4 nurses would be estimated for 20 patients.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks us to estimate the number of nurses needed for a wing with 20 patients using proportions. This can be considered a problem of ratio and proportion, which is a topic in Mathematics. To accurately provide an estimate, one would need to know the ratio of nurses to patients that is considered optimal or standard in healthcare settings. This ratio can vary widely depending on the country, type of healthcare facility, and the specific needs of patients. For example, if a surveyed hospital wing operates optimally with a 1:5 nurse-to-patient ratio, for 20 patients, you would multiply the number of patients by the inverse of the ratio to determine the necessary number of nurses:
nurses = patients × (1/ratio) = 20 × (1/5) = 4 nurses
Therefore, if we are using the 1:5 ratio, an estimated 4 nurses would be necessary to care for a wing with 20 patients.