Charge nurse taking patients

Nurses Safety

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So I am wandering how it is at other places but at our hospital, they didn't want the charge nurse to take pts anymore, but now they have changed it and said the night shift charge nurse will take pts now and it will just depend on the number of nurses/patients on day shift. When our night shift charge nurse didn't have pts, she would help with admits and blood sugars and really anything and it was so much more easier but now management says they can't justify the night shift charge not having patients

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

If too many nurses call off and replacements cannot be found in a timely manner, our charge nurse must take a patient load. And if there's no charge nurse, the nurse manager or CNO must work the floor. I work at a small specialty hospital that does not utilize agency nurses under any circumstances.

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The charge nurses on my floor always take patients. They usually have the same amount as the other nurses..as well as have to help out.

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Specializes in Med/Surg,Cardiac.

The charge on days doesn't take patients unless another nurse has to leave. She does admissions and discharges and helps out on the floor.

The charge on nights takes a full load. We usually all do our own admits. We split rooms by number rather than acuity every time. The night charge really doesn't do much more than other nurses aside from checking the crash cart.

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.

At our facility the charge is supposed to either take patients or do admits of give pens, check BS levels, ect. Unfortunately it doesn't happen that way. Our usual load is 7:1. Makes for a crappy day when you're busting at the seams.

Anne, RNC

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Specializes in ICU.

My hospital has moved to charge having patients, and it sucks. Charge nurses will get a full load plus having to coordinate all charge duties... it's a $1.50 shift differential but it is not worth it!

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Where I work the day charge has no assignment but helps on the floor if she is not busy.Evenings and night charges have the same size assignment as everyone else.

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Med surg nurse. Night charge takes a full assignment. Days is usually free charge. Evenings is supposed to be free charge but ends up taking a full assignment most of the time with us still short some shifts! When charge has a full assignment she really can't help much because she has her own patients. just as busy as anyone else. Sometimes they get easier pts, but sometimes there aren't any "easy" pts. There are shifts I have been in charge where I barely had time to do the assignment for the next shift.

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

I don't work med-surg anymore but I know my hospital is currently trialling a free charge nurse at night. The charge nurses already don't have an assignment during the day.

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Specializes in Emergency.
The charge nurses on my floor always take patients. They usually have the same amount as the other nurses..as well as have to help out.

Same here. As someone who is in charge nearly every day that I work - it sucks.

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Specializes in Med/surg, Quality & Risk.

We take patients if we are not staffed to grid Monday-Friday, and have a full patient load on Saturday & Sunday. It kind of stinks because everyone expects you to continue helping them on the same level as you do when you don't have patients.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

At my old place, charges took lower acuity patients with a slightly lower ratio (1-2 pts less) than the rest of us. Our ratio could go 1:7 max, and it happened often. Responsibilities were bed placement, assignments, attending/helping out with RRs, acting as a resource, precepting new hires, covering monitors during tech break, even taking his/her turn w/ an admission. No joke.

At my new place, they take no patients. Floor ratio is 1:5. Responsibilities are bed placement, assignments, covering monitors during tech break, and...I don't really know! RRs have been called and the charge is not present. They are often "too busy" to help out. The nurses who are assigned to charge look forward to it. The charge role expectations really need to be beefed up at my current hospital.

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