So upset got passed for charge

Nurses General Nursing

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I am a 45yr old mom of 2 that graduated from nursing school may 08. Got a job in a large hosp that is 45min from home. Now I work 3 nites a week was 4 until I asked to decrease with summer coming up. I found out last nite that a girl 21 who started exactly 1month after me is going to be trained to be a charge nurse. Now she is a 1.0 and is 1/2 my age with no kids. But I am still upset I feel that I am not doing it. I have not been told anything bad, I do ask alot of questions vs many other nurses. But I am the one who is left on the floor alone when the others are on break, I am the nurse answering call bells. I am the nurse who goes around to other nurses and aides asking if they need help. I am the one who empties trash cans. I am the one who gets 2 admits while others have 3 empty beds. I feel so used and like I am not making it. I truly try my best I do not sit and gossip or read the paper or play on my phone. I am always checking labs looking things up. WHY.

Thanks for listening

This is tough I am sure. It doesn't sound like there was an application process. I have to agree that when one reduces one's hours chances of advancement gets reduced. I think it would be a great idea to have a chat with your mgr about what you need to do for advancement. Get in place a plan that you can work with. I would not mention this other person.

I am not saying that you are a lesser nurse but I would seek frank feedback about what THEY observe about your performance, attitude etc. There should always be some room for improvement with ALL OF US. Get them to be specific. Generally we aren't always great at self-evaluation.

I know this stuff kinda smarts when it happens. Wouldn't it be nice if we always got tapped on the should and given kudos/salary rises/advancement without having to advocate for ourselves?

Specializes in med-surg, teaching, cardiac, priv. duty.

Geee....I'd be glad to be overlooked for charge! When I worked at the hospital, most nurses did not want charge!! Generally people had to be "forced" or pressured into charge. They said it was way too much extra responsibility for too little extra pay (like $1.00 extra an hour), and too little support from management. My husband was a charge nurse for awhile, and he quit for reasons like this....He got sick and tired of enforcing things, only to have management not back him because of "politics". The hassles were not worth the whopping $1 extra an hour.

Specializes in cardiothoracic surgery.

I agree with the posts that have stated it may be due to your part time status. They may have wanted someone that is there on a more consistent basis. I also have to say (and I am sure some people will disagree with me on this) that I think being a nurse for one year is not enough experience to be a charge nurse. You are still considered to be in the novice/advanced beginner stage of your nursing career. I think it takes a few years to develop the knowledge to become a competent nurse, and I think it is at this stage that one should look at becoming charge. Please keep in mind that I am in no way judging your nursing skills, but my opinion is based on my own experience. I was trained for charge 5 years after I started. Personally, I feel there is no way I could have done charge after working for one year, I didn't have enough experience or knowledge. Again, that is my own experience, it may be different for other people. If being charge nurse is one of your goals, let your manager know, continue to be a leader on your floor, and continue to expand your knowledge.

Specializes in School Nursing.

sounds like it may be a blessing in disguise. thank your lucky stars

praiser :heartbeat

Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

On our floor we all HAVE to charge on occasion. There are a few nurses who do it routinely, but every now and then we all have to do it. Most of us tend to grip about it, even though non-leveled nurses, like myself, get $2 more an hour.

But everywhere is different, and I agree with most of what has already been said. Just go in and ask why it wasn't you. It might be as simple as "she asked me if she could train for it, and I said sure!".

The one thing about most work environments is you can bust your bum doing all sorts of things around the floor, and that is great because it supports your case when you do request something like charge, but generally you have to step up and ask for what you want.

Tait

Specializes in ER, PACU, Med-Surg, Hospice, LTC.
I am a 45yr old mom of 2 that graduated from nursing school may 08. Got a job in a large hosp that is 45min from home. Now I work 3 nites a week was 4 until I asked to decrease with summer coming up. I found out last nite that a girl 21 who started exactly 1month after me is going to be trained to be a charge nurse. Now she is a 1.0 and is 1/2 my age with no kids. But I am still upset I feel that I am not doing it. I have not been told anything bad, I do ask alot of questions vs many other nurses.

I'm sorry that you are going through it, but trust me, it's no bed of roses being a CN.

I too think that this is a blessing is disguise.

You can keep the hours that you have chosen and spend your time away from work and be with your children. That is so important, IMO. And just think, the phone won't be ringing non stop when you are not at work either. I had a Unit Manager (CN) that ended up being transferred because she was developing tics from the stress of the CN position.

To add, I do not think the fact that you have kids and the other Nurse does not has anything to do with your facility's decision. I say this because I'd bet that 75% of the CN I have had over the years have had children. Some even worked as a CN while pregnant and having kids at home.

But I am the one who is left on the floor alone when the others are on break, I am the nurse answering call bells. I am the nurse who goes around to other nurses and aides asking if they need help. I am the one who empties trash cans. I am the one who gets 2 admits while others have 3 empty beds. I feel so used and like I am not making it. I truly try my best I do not sit and gossip or read the paper or play on my phone. I am always checking labs looking things up. WHY?

Why? Because you are probably one of the few Nurses on the Floor that actually does all of this and doesn't complain about it, so they want to keep you there! They know a good thing when they see it! ;)

Although I've functioned as charge nurse on every shift in most places I've worked, I guess I'm confused about what a "charge nurse" is. I was charge on the night shift because I was often the only staff RN on the shift and directed the LPNs, aides or agency nurses on shift with me. Charge lasted only for the duration of the shift, and when the next shift came on one of those nurses would be the charge nurse for that shift. The same for evenings. There was no training involved, just accrual of enough knowledge of how the unit worked and the ability to divvy up patient assignments fairly, light personnel management (very light!) and enforcement of procedures and protocols on the unit. That was all being the charge nurse was, and in my current employment, that's all it still is.

Some of you are talking as though the charge nurse position is tantamount to the unit manager position. I can't imagine that the two could ever be anything alike in function or philosophy. That's why I'm so confused by statements about being charge around the clock, and how the responsibility of the charge position is so daunting and intimidating. I don't understand what your concern is all about.

Yes, nursing and healthcare has undergone significant change lately, and it could be that some hospitals treat charge nurses like middle management. However, I doubt it.

Specializes in ER, PACU, Med-Surg, Hospice, LTC.

This is how my current place of employment views CN/Unit Manager/Nurse Unit Manager-Charge Nurse:

Each ward/unit or team must have a Nurse Unit Manager (Charge Nurse) appointed.

The Nurse Unit Manager (Charge Nurse) position combines the roles of manager, clinician and

leader and is integral to the ability of the health care system to achieve quality patient care outcomes.

The Nurse Unit Manager (Charge Nurse) is a Registered Nurse with responsibility for a ward,

unit or team.

The Nurse Unit Manager (Charge Nurse) position is an integration of the clinical, managerial

and teachings aspects of Unit Management.

CN/Unit Manager has definitely been used interchangeably in places where I have worked. It can be very confusing.

Thank you for all your replies. Charge nurse on our floor is the person who decides who gets what pts and charge nurse also has to find someone to cover if a nurse calls off in the AM if the nursing supervisor can not. But they do get $2/hr more but it is only for that shift. You still have pts and responsible that everything gets done and on time and makes sure everyone gets a break but as I said I usually don't take my full break but I think I am going to start now.

Specializes in ICU.

I haven't read all the responses yet... but let me just say..,....

It is NOT all it's cracked up to be.

Being charge means dealing with all the petty bull crap of other nurses...

Being charge means,, that maybe you have to be responsible for nurses that are NOT SO BRIGHT.

Being charge means that you have to run around with your head cut off helping EVERYONE.

Being charge means you gotta know EVERYTHING about EVERYONE at ALL TIMES and be available to regurgitate this information on the spot when doctors/management/the nurse ask you.

Being charge means, ultimately, a lot more responsibility.

Although I've functioned as charge nurse on every shift in most places I've worked, I guess I'm confused about what a "charge nurse" is. I was charge on the night shift because I was often the only staff RN on the shift and directed the LPNs, aides or agency nurses on shift with me. Charge lasted only for the duration of the shift, and when the next shift came on one of those nurses would be the charge nurse for that shift. The same for evenings. There was no training involved, just accrual of enough knowledge of how the unit worked and the ability to divvy up patient assignments fairly, light personnel management (very light!) and enforcement of procedures and protocols on the unit. That was all being the charge nurse was, and in my current employment, that's all it still is.

Some of you are talking as though the charge nurse position is tantamount to the unit manager position. I can't imagine that the two could ever be anything alike in function or philosophy. That's why I'm so confused by statements about being charge around the clock, and how the responsibility of the charge position is so daunting and intimidating. I don't understand what your concern is all about.

Yes, nursing and healthcare has undergone significant change lately, and it could be that some hospitals treat charge nurses like middle management. However, I doubt it.

Yes but not all are like yours.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Home Health.

I HATED being CN, but I understand your feelings, wondering why someone else was chosen over you. Ive been there too and it made me wonder if they felt I was more inadequate than the one who was chosen. Later when I WAS chosen, I wished then I hadnt. I hated the responsibility, the paperwork, the stress. I always dreaded the days I was charge. But if you are truely interested in it, I would definitely talk to the nurse manager and express the interest. Working 3 12's is not part-time.

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