How do I take charge of the ward?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi all,

Im fairly new to this forum, so here's my first post!

Well anyway, had a discussion with my manager and she is very keen to get me through some training to be able to take charge of the ward. I work in a very busy , demanding respiratory/ haematology ward. We nurse patients requiring NIV, cpap and bipap , chest drains ect. Blood transfusions and IV abx ect... so much is expected, but im not quite sure what to expect from being in charge? I know how important it is to ensure a high standard of care is given to patients, motivating the staff, liaising with doctors and ensuring the communication is there, supporting junior staff (im still pretty junior myself lol!)

In a nutshell, does anyone have any pointers? Have you any advice for a junior staff nurse about to take things to another level of responsibility?

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Starting point would be where are you? Talking about wards indicates to me you are not in the US

For me I would say gain experience, watch what is done on your area, see if courses are available like leadership and talk to the ones that take charge

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Before I would accept a charge role, I would be 100% sure that I were very familiar with everything a patient needs clinically, the policies and procedure guidelines of the unit, and the charting system. In other words, know every part of how the unit works.

With such complex patients, I would be sure that your staffing ratios are sufficient, that you are able to support nurses when they need support, and you are aware of each patient and what is going on with them--encourage the nurses to check in with you every couple of hours, and to not be afraid to seek you out if they are drowning.

Finally, make patient assignments based on nurse's clinical strengths. Make sure that if you have a number of junior nurses, that you have regular skills education. If you are finding that there's a disconnect, ask that the nurse educator come to the unit and teach some of the juniors about some bells and whistles that they may not be clear on.

Best of luck to you!

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Thanks silverdragon and jadelpn,

Im in the UK, but find this site great! Nursing is nursing no matter wher you are :)

That is good advice, ive been watching the other nurses who take charge... they all have different ways of running the place .. I prefer some approaches more than others.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Blaze your own path. I have always found leading by example the best route. But fair but require high standards. Involve the staff the best you can help when possible. Do they charge nurses where you are have patient assignments?

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

When you step into a 'charge' role, you have crossed the line into management. This means that you are responsible for ensuring that all of your subordinates comply with all of your employer's rules and regulations - even the ones you may not agree with. In the US, your level of accountability takes a big jump when you are an authorized 'agent' of the organization (e.g. manager). I don't know if this is the same in the UK. This means that you have to can't turn a blind eye to anything and you need to have a very clear understanding of all relevant policies and procedures.

It's can be very flattering to be singled out for a (perceived) increase in status. But don't let your ego rule your head. I know scads of very experienced nurses who have opted out of supervisory status because they have discovered that the 'rewards' are not sufficient to justify the additional hassle and risk.

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Do you have an opportunity to buddy or shadow with an experienced charge nurse?

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