Charge nurse after 1.5 years on unit

Nurses General Nursing

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I've been on a roll lately..

Thoughts on being required to do charge on level 3 NICU after being there for a year and a half? *That is without previous NICU experience. Management states all new staff is required to do charge (I wasn't made aware of this during my interview). Does this happen elsewhere?

In my head, I always thought of doing charge when you feel very confident and competent. And a personal decision, being that personality weighs in heavy on it.

What do you guys think!

allnurses Guide

NurseCard, ADN

2,847 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

Well, on the Med Surge unit where I started my career, nurses were

performing charge duties, sometimes not even one year in. Heck, our

manager hadn't been a nurse a year before getting that job! But

that's another story... she was a great manager btw.

I think a lot of times, being designated charge nurse SOUNDS like

more of a big, overwhelming deal than it actually is. On this unit

for example, the charge nurse's main duty, besides taking care of

their own patient load... was to make the patient assignments

at the beginning of the shift.

Your unit may be much different of course, I don't know.

AJJKRN

1,224 Posts

Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.

How's your turnover/staffing?

Specializes in Emergency Medicine.
How's your turnover/staffing?

Pretty bad. Most of night shift has less than 5 years experience. Lucky if it's even 3 years.

Management reasoning is they don't have enough people to do charge, so they make it mandatory.

Your interview is a moot point, charge duties are in your job description. Management has made it mandatory. Don't freak out about it, and delegate .

Best wishes, you've got this.

PCnurse88

182 Posts

Specializes in medsurg, progressive care.

You've been there 1.5 years? I'd consider myself lucky if I was given that long before they made me charge! Our facility makes everyone do charge at least a couple times, usually around the 1 year mark but sometimes earlier (I was a new grad with 8 months experience- eeeeek). We try everyone out as a "trial run", but some people just cannot do it, and I've known a couple coworkers who deliberately were horrible so they wouldn't be made charge again.

For the most part it's the same group of 5 that just rotate the job, but it obviously depends on who is working that day. I always get the short end of the stick and end up charge on my weekend. Let me tell you, that extra $1/hr is NOT worth it!

Good luck! And who knows- maybe you'll like it.

AJJKRN

1,224 Posts

Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.
Pretty bad. Most of night shift has less than 5 years experience. Lucky if it's even 3 years.

Management reasoning is they don't have enough people to do charge, so they make it mandatory.

I kinda figured. At my work we have standards one needs to meet before being considered for a charge nurse role...that is if turnover doesn't trump them first. But good news, often being a charge can open more doors for you on down the line as many places consider the experience to be one of a leadership role.

JKL33

6,768 Posts

At my work we have standards....

:inlove:

cleback

1,381 Posts

Being charge isn't a personal decision. It's just another role you perform as the facility needs you to. But a good facility will try to keep experienced staff in that role.

I feel like 1.5 years on a med surg floor would be OK (my old facility tried to keep it above 2 yrs). But with a nicu that seems too short. Maybe like another poster said, the responsibility is limited to making patient assignments?

Specializes in Emergency Medicine.

Thanks everyone! Has opened my eyes to what it's really like out here. In hindsight, I had it maaade at my first job.

Specializes in Emergency Medicine.
Being charge isn't a personal decision. It's just another role you perform as the facility needs you to. But a good facility will try to keep experienced staff in that role.

I feel like 1.5 years on a med surg floor would be OK (my old facility tried to keep it above 2 yrs). But with a nicu that seems too short. Maybe like another poster said, the responsibility is limited to making patient assignments?

Not exactly. Outside of assignments and checking equipment charge also goes to deliveries. All deliveries. That means charge goes to delivery, usually with RT, and if it's high risk then they take another RN with them. You are signed off on deliveries after attending 3 of them. You are then considered "core" staff and can/will train to charge.

Crush

462 Posts

Specializes in Case manager, float pool, and more.
At my work we have standards one needs to meet before being considered for a charge nurse role.

Ditto here. However, the time one has been a nurse does not factor into whether or not one can perform charge nurse duties. Duties are delegated per standards of practice and competencies.

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