Charge nurse

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Am I the only one who does NOT want to be a charge nurse!?

I've been a Med/Surg Nurse for just over 6 years. I worked as a charge nurse as a new nurse but have graciously turned down the position as the years go on. I prefer to come to work, take care of my patients and go home. I don't care to get involved with the politics of the job. But because I have the experience, its assumed that I should be the one in charge. Its something that I have been dodging.

Can anyone relate?! or does anyone have some advice on making that transition to charge easier?!

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Charge is a thankless job and someone always has something to say about their assignment. I didn't like it either. One of the perks of being in the float pool is never being charge.

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I've never cared for it, either.

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I've been asked quite a few times to apply for an open CN spot. My answer is heck no!! I don't want it, I don't want to deal with the b%#£€*ing about assignments, I don't want to come in extra for CN meetings...just no.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Our facility does not have permanent charge positions, and all charge nurses are appointed by the department manager. It's not optional. Although, I certainly would not want to have a charge nurse who hated it and/or wasn't good at it.

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.

I know some nurses who want to be in charge every shift they are there. I know some nurses who have refused to be/train for charge. I don't think there is anything wrong with not wanting to be a charge nurse. If you NM is pushing you to be charge, he/she obviously sees something in you, and it could reflect negatively on you not to accept the offer.

Out of curiosity, is there a formal training to charge, or is a nurse just thrown into it?

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Specializes in Surgical, quality,management.
Our facility does not have permanent charge positions, and all charge nurses are appointed by the department manager. It's not optional. Although, I certainly would not want to have a charge nurse who hated it and/or wasn't good at it.

Interesting......

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We rotate charge on my unit. We have a few that won't do it. We have a few who love it and are awful. We have a few that don't love it but are pretty good at it.

I'm pretty good at it (my manager schedules me a lot) I don't always like it because drama and such but at times it's good to not have an assignment.

No extra training but you need to have been on the unit a certain amount of time and demonstrate you can handle the pressure and preform the job correctly.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.
Charge is a thankless job and someone always has something to say about their assignment. I didn't like it either. One of the perks of being in the float pool is never being charge.

There are so so so many perks of being in the float pool! I agree that this is one of them.

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It might reflect badly on me but i know my limits and i try to stay within them.

They give you one or two days of training where i am now. When youre an experienced nurse, who has been at the job for a minute, they assume you know everything and dont care to actually try to teach you.

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Specializes in PCCN.

I hate being charge. We are usually told "you will be charge "that day.usually I get it because no one else is capable on that particular shift.either not enough time, or a traveler/float.

Charge for me -almost always have a full assignment, and this last one I had a full assignment 5pts (stepdown unit) AND a brandy new grad 1st day. :/

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Being Charge is the worst. No thank you!

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