Charge nurse and take patients?!!!

Sparrow23 · Apr 18, 2011

At my last job, charge would have to take a full pt load (up to 8 pts). I had zero charge training, got thrown into it because there was no one else to do it most nights, AND would have to be precepting new grads as well. Sooo glad I'm outta there!

Current job - charge takes maybe two pts. Maybe. Have I mentioned I love my new job?

Sugarcoma, RN · Apr 18, 2011

Charge gets full pt. load on my floor and acuity is not taken into consideration. most of the time charge also gets first admit or an extra patient.

rkitty198, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2011

I took patients (one less than everyone else). We all signed off our own orders and pretty much all I did was oversee the bed control aspect of it. I was so grateful that I didn't have a heart attack by the time I turned 30.

I work now in a place where the charge dosen't take patients and let me tell you all she does is sign off orders, she won't even tell us if there are stat orders either. She wont help with any patient care either.

She is a glorified secretary. I would love to throw her into my last job and see how she handles it all. Okay off my soapbox.

nursej22, MSN, RN · Apr 18, 2011

Our charge does not generally take a patient load. I find when I fill in as charge there is plenty to do. We often have a new or float UC who needs help interpreting orders and answering phones, there are tons of orders to sign off, IVs to start, and new patients to place.

We are often full, so I can spend a lot of time triaging patients who can transfer out so we can take admits or transfers from ICU.

When I get back from my break some unit or department always has their panties in a bunch because they had to wait 15 minutes for me to give them a bed assignment.

I often cover for staff nurse breaks when the acuity is high. We also have a lot of float nurses who have many questions about meds, procedures and teaching.

And at least once a week, a visitor or doctor demands to speak with the charge. :rolleyes:

We are a 29 bed cardiac telemetry, and average 4-8 discharges/transfers out/ 10-12 admits and transfers in on 3-11.

tokmom, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2011

No way could I take a pt load. We have a 24 bed unit, including ICU. I do all the dishcharges, admits and education on top of bed control, putting out fires, starting IV's for people and if a pt goes bad, getting them out of our hospital to a larger sister. I never have time for breaks or lunch until 8 hrs into my shift.

I'd have to jump off the roof if they gave me a patients!

nite-owl · Apr 18, 2011

I work on a 21 bed pediatric unit and our charge nurse always takes a full load (up to 6). It can be hard , in fact if it was up to me I would probably never charge. It wouldn't be so bad if the cn didn't have to take more than 4pts or any at all then I would actually feel more helpful to my other nurses. Some how though we make it work we all have a really good team concept and it just flows (most days).

allnurses Guide · Apr 18, 2011

I'm told on the floors our charge nurses take a lighter load on nights, but there are only 4 or 5 nurses to be charge over. In the

ER, charge has 3 zones + triage + urgent care; up to 15 nurses, 5 techs and 3 secretaries on days, fewer on nights but less back up in other depts. No way to reasonably take patients, but somehow I ended with hall bed patients anyway.

I pretty much stopped doing charge this year, after 15+ of doing it. I am sooo much more relaxed going in nights these days....

So, it depends on your floor and your circumstances! If you are making the assigments as charge, do not feel guilty about taking the lighter load; it is more fair to you and to your patients.

linearthinker, DNP, RN · Apr 18, 2011

That has been the norm everywhere I have worked for the last 15 years or so. I do recall back in the day that they did not, but I really haven't seen that anywhere in a long, long time.

Sl1011 · Apr 18, 2011

When I was a CNA 6 yrs ago on a med/surg floor in AZ, the charge nurse had her own pt load but took 4 if everyone else had 5.

At this hospital here in SC (med/surg floor too), the charge nurse doesn't have any pts. She's always so busy, I don't know how she'd manage with her own. She's constantly on the phone, checking on pts, doing forms, on the computer checking on charting, helping where help is needed, meetings, etc.

NENE RN · Apr 18, 2011

On the unit that I work on it is sad to say the the charge nurse may at times not only have a team of pts as a RN and her charge duties but also may have a partial team as a tech/pca, watch emu, unit secretary at the same time because of staffing issues.....It is sad. This happens more and more often. The afternoon charge is wonderful. She works herself to the bone.

Caffeine_IV · Apr 19, 2011

Charge gets full pt. load on my floor and acuity is not taken into consideration. most of the time charge also gets first admit or an extra patient.

Same on my floor. We aren't compensated nearly enough for taking charge responsibility.

These days being in charge makes me want to pull my hair out...I wish I could give it up.

anotherone, BSN, RN · Apr 21, 2011

Well I just got a job making good money. At my new hospital I'm on a med surge floor. The rn has a pt load and does charge at the same time. Where I worked before, the charge nurse did not take pts. So i have been learning how to have a pt load. Well that is enough by itself. So how in the world do you have a pt load and do charge duties at the same time?? It seems impossible?

Where I work on days USUALLY charge doesn't have an assignment on weekened days charge has an assignment. After 7pm charge ALWAYS has an assignment and up to 6 patients. It is insanity. Anyone can be charge as long as he/she is an RN you don't get to choose whether you are charge or not. It is just forced upon you.