Charge nurse

[YstRN12]

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?!

[DowntheRiver]

Originally, I was so excited and honored to be charge. I'm now charge two days a week and I really don't care for it. I tried to give it up but they guilt tripped me into the role again a week later. And that's why no one wants it - it is stressful and not worth the extra money that you are paid for it. I have no suggestions, just that I get it!

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

I was a charge nurse for years, sorry I did it. The only good thing about charge was, I could take an easier assignment so I COULD DO CHARGE DUTIES.

Don't know how you manage to keep dodging it, taking charge is in your job description.

[conroenurse]

Boy do I understand that. I am a "Worker Bee", do not want the "Queen Bee" Position. At our job "Charge" and "DOn" are always on call, always responsible and IMO no amt of money can compensate for coming home, throwing my shoes off, and sleeping!

[Alex_RN, BSN]

I realized how hard it was for me to step out of my bedside-care comfort zone.

Now I now longer wonder if the Charge can see how 'effing busy I am because I know they are drowning, too. At least now I will know to speak up if I need help.

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

I was a charge nurse for years, sorry I did it. The only good thing about charge was, I could take an easier assignment so I COULD DO CHARGE DUTIES.

Don't know how you manage to keep dodging it, taking charge is in your job description.

You are lucky.we are to do that, take a 5 person full assignment, and I get to precept a new grad too !! Its bs. I hate being forced to be charge

[humerusRN]

We have a group of "Charge RNs" and while I hate that I was drafted into the group, at least I don't have to do it EVERY time I work. I couldn't do it. I hate the role, no one likes you as Charge, and it's definitely not worth the $1 pay bump an hour.

[saskrn]

My husband has been an RN for 22 years, has worked almost every specialty in the hospital (right now he only works critical care units, PACU and the ED), and he's been nagged to be a charge for years. He HATES charge. He prefers to take care of his patients, help other staff out when needed, and go home.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

You are lucky.we are to do that, take a 5 person full assignment, and I get to precept a new grad too !! Its bs. I hate being forced to be charge

You can change that. I was done with doing it all. Called the manager to the floor before I accepted the role. Explained the situation and duties... from then on, I made my own assignment and could pull off the charge role.

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

You can change that. I was done with doing it all. Called the manager to the floor before I accepted the role. Explained the situation and duties... from then on, I made my own assignment and could pull off the charge role.

I guess I have to suck it up for now. We dont have enough experienced nurses.last shift there were 5 of us. 4 of us had new grad preceptees.

[SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP]

We don't have assigned charge nurses at our hospital. If you've been on the unit at least a year and a nurse for at least 2 years, you're going to be asked to do charge. I prefer not to because a) you only get a measly $2/hr extra, b) there's always someone who isn't happy with the assignments you've made, no matter how fair you try to be, c) it's a headache trying to juggle calming down irate family members, explaining to the staffing office why you can't possibly take another patient on the unit, and still try to get all the paperwork completed. Not worth the hassle whatsoever.

[AJJKRN]

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.

I've been in the float pool for years and have been doing charge for years which is an expectation for many of us in the float pool. Not enough experienced nurses on the floors most of the time. I get a full patient load most of the time, maybe also show up and have an orientee, it's my norm. I personally like the challenges for the most part as it keeps it interesting and challenging plus it does come with a decent differential. Better than working with a charge that either doesn't know what they're doing or are too lazy to do what they're supposed to be doing!

[HiddencatBSN, BSN]

I've never had any desire to do it not to go down the management path either. I don't mind joining committees and doing projects but I like being at the bedside. That is the work that I like to do. At one of my jobs once you had enough experience they just rotated night shift through charge and it basically just meant a bit of extra paperwork that I wasn't able to do independently because for some reason the bedboard system did not recognize my sign in despite management going back and forth with IT for months over it. At a few jobs it's a role you apply to and get trained for and you are scheduled as a charge nurse after an extensive process and might or might not be there all of your shifts. At another job there was no training but some secret inner process that placed you in charge or not. I managed to avoid it except for one shift and tried to do a really bad job to never be placed in charge again