Charge nurse??

Bella36RN · Mar 1, 2008

When she scheduled me charge..i am the only RN on the unit the rest LPNs. If for some reason CCU or ER needs drugs or anything from purchasing (ie catheters) or an old file then i am the only one with the keys. I just dont know if i am ready to be responsible for so much so soon. it just seems like a lot for me to handle. i dont know

Nursebarebari · Mar 1, 2008

Nope, I won't do it. It is just too early for you to start charging. Let your nurse manager know that you feel uncomfortable to charge the floor and that you need more experiene.

PsychNurseWannaBe, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2008

Where I work, nurses on each unit are considered charge nurses. But the way the term is used, it isn't what a typical charge nurse role is. For us it just means we are in charge of the unit, the residents and the CNAs but we still have a house supervisor. We are not in charge of other nurses.

Since we have 4 units, we technically have 4 charge nurses...but we each stay on our own unit and just simply run our unit.

When I worked somewhere else, the charge nurse was one nurse who was in charge of the facility, but that is not the case where I am right now. I was also placed in charge of the facility as a GN. At the end of the shift I found out the agency nurse was not an RN. That really upset me because as a GN I needed an RN to practice. :nono:

Luckily I don't have to worry about that anymore since I am an RN but that was still scary. And I left that facility because of the legal and ethical situation they placed me in.

military girl · Mar 1, 2008

Congratulations on passing the boards.

I feel that you should do an honest self assessment. If you feel that you are not ready for the responsibilities of being charge nurse, then be up front with your nurse manager. You SHOULD be oriented to being charge, not just being put on the schedule as the charge nurse. And your nurse manager should know this.

Being charge, as some of the other posts stated means different things at different facilities. Being in the military, being the charge nurse means the "go to" person on the floor. You make the assignments, assign admissions, act as the go-between between the nursing staff and the physicians and anything else that comes up. If there is a staffing issue, meaning that someone calls in, then you have to ensure that the shift is covered.

Like one of the earlier posts stated, in two weeks you may feel differently about being charge. At the hospital where I am stationed at, we typically don't have new nurses be charge until atleast 6 months after orientation.

Think about it, but don't stress over it.

Bella36RN · Mar 1, 2008

At our facility charge nurse is house supervisor...in charge over a BUNCH of people...thats what makes me nervous

CHATSDALE · Mar 1, 2008

i would determine what is expected of you

if there are other nurses, then you maybe getting the feel of the place and you can have time to discuss with them what you do on your shift

if there are no other rns on shift then you may be smart to decline the honor and look for some place else to work