Charge nurse/ years of experience

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 12, 2015

Anyone with a pulse and off orientation could charge on my old unit

Same here. I did my first shift as charge about a month and a half after I started the job, and yes, I was a new grad.

I'm not sure what the criteria is for charging at my current facility, but I know you can't be per-diem/PRN staff and do charge.

SmilingBluEyes · Apr 12, 2015

Depends on the nurse. Some people are excellent and ready after a year or so> Some nurses will always do poorly in such a position, due to inability to see the big picture and communicate with/manage others.

You say nothing of her talents/actual experience or abilities. 3 years may be plenty if she is made of the right stuff.

Why are you so worried, really? If she is unable to do the job due to lack of ability, then you protest. But lack of years? That alone is not enough really.

Also does she get along with the other nurses? Is she a good fit?

If the answers are yes, then ---yes--- she should be learning to charge.

Any place I worked, I preferred NOT being in charge. Too much work, too little pay and authority. Give me staff nursing any day.

Anyhow, I digress. Where I work, there is a long orientation and training period and one is not in charge for at least 1 year----or 2 if a new nurse out of school. (company policy). But more often, it's a bit longer. Such a person is a "team leader" where I work, and is in charge not only of other nurses, but technicians under them. It's a pretty big responsibility. But most handle it well after 2 years' experience.

littlepeopleRNICU · Apr 13, 2015

I trained for charge at a year on my last unit, and am now training for charge at around 2.5 years' experience on my current unit. However, they were asking me about training since I had been there around 8 months. I said no until now because I didn't feel myself, that I was ready to take on the role.(I had switched to VERY different specialties).

They "say" 2 years on my current unit(of actual unit experience, not nursing experience), but that's taken with a small grain of salt. Most of the nurses end up training around that time, only because that's when they become proficient enough in the things a charge nurse in the NICU should be able to, and honestly, I think experience is not the priority. There are some nurses I would consult for advice/trust with manning charge at 3 years experience vs others with 20 years. It's really an individual thing. Even though they are loose with the experience requirements on my unit now, they are still very, very selective in who they want to train. I feel like 3 years is far enough experience for your nurse...as long as she has all the right skills, personality, and leadership aspects that would make her a suitable charge nurse. Is the length of experience the only reason the rest of the unit doesn't feel like training her is a good idea?

itrust · Apr 13, 2015

Hi all
just wondering - in your facility, what are the requirements for charge nurse?
I work in a small LDRP unit, we have 4 main charge nurses on each shift. My manager wants to train another nurse to do charge sometimes, however this nurse only has 3 years of experience. The rest of us don't feel like it's a good idea.
So I'm curious about what other facilities are doing? Thanks?

LOL, how much experience are you looking for? 5? 10? 15?

No offense, 3 years is PLENTY to be charge nurse, assuming everything else is equal (i.e., said individual isn't a complete idiot). A charge nurse is more of a point person or a resource nurse, it doesn't necessarily mean said individual is the most experienced or knows everything.

kddannemiller · Apr 13, 2015

Where I previously worked (16 bed ICU), RNs could charge with 1 year experience. Small pay bump, and usually charge did not take patients unless we were short-staffed. Not sure about my new hospital though, I moved out of state and don't I start for a few months.

I would think the amount of experience really differs per individual... We had nurses with 15+ years experience that we didn't think should be charging, and some with only 1-2 that made, or would have made great charges...

shortstuff31117 · Apr 13, 2015

Well there is more to it, but I was only asking about facility requirements. No need for some of you to be rude!

NutmeggeRN, BSN · Apr 13, 2015

Eeks, when I passed my boards, several of us took charge right away....We were working FT nights as GNs and then we were RN's and the Nurse manager decided no time like the present, and off we went! That was many many years ago, you know, like when patients were admitted the night before they had surgery...and stayed in house post op!!!

I shudder now to think of what I did NOT know!!!!

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Apr 13, 2015

My first job out of nursing school had us start being charge as early as 9 months in (except for me, as I refused to be charge until I was at least a year in). I hated that (particularly since as charge we also had 4 patients AND no incentive pay to go along with that responsibility). Generally, I don't think anyone should be charge until at least 18 months have elapsed.

littlepeopleRNICU · Apr 13, 2015

Well there is more to it, but I was only asking about facility requirements. No need for some of you to be rude!

I don't think people were intending to be rude, but when you said "she only has 3 years of experience and the rest of us don't think it's a good idea", the reader can only assume that your only reasoning for not wanting her to charge is because of her having "only" 3 years of experience.

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 13, 2015

Well there is more to it, but I was only asking about facility requirements. No need for some of you to be rude!

If you read your post, it is lacking... Would you not think it odd that someone is questioning a nurse with 3 years of bedside work experience to be Charge? Three years a lot of work experience.

I have taken a different approach... My guess is that this particular nurse is not liked by you or the other nurses who are gossiping with you. You and the others may justify your dislike of this nurse by raising concerns regarding his/her nursing judgement, his/her nursing practice, and/or maybe his/her leadership skills or lack thereof...., which will make a heck of a lot more sense than questioning 3 years of bedside work experience. However, keep in mind that this particular nurse still works on that floor, still cares for patients, and has done so long enough to give the powers-that-be the impression that she is competent enough to be a Charge Nurse over you and the others.

Thus, if you and your friends/co-workers bring up negatives and concerns about this nurse becoming Charge and those concerns were not made aware to the powers-that-be until now, you and the others will look unprofessional because it is very immature (I am thinking junior-high-mean-girls immature). In fact, if a nurse is really a problem or a concern on your floor (I doubt it.. I think he/she is just not liked), you and/or the others had a professional responsibility as nurses to have brought up those concerns way back when; not at the time that he/she is being looked at for a leadership role or a promotion.

On the other hand, if you and the others have brought up concerns in the past, then bring them up again. Maybe the-powers-that-be will ensure that this particular nurse receives the support and training he/she deserves? By doing so, he/she will have the opportunity to make an excellent Charge Nurse.

Dazglue, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 13, 2015

Anyone with a pulse and off orientation could charge on my old unit. High turnover burn unit with mixed acuity patients.

Did we use to be co-workers? Lol. Seriously, while I was on orientation, I had to be charge nurse with making assignment's, having a full patient load of around 6-7, handling all types of emergencies clinical and non-clinical, be present for all codes and rapid response calls, all while only being a new grad of only a few weeks. Problem with the schedule? Co-workers would go tattle and then I'm summoned to the office to be reprimanded. UGH! After 4 years, I'm still trying to get off of this unit!

R1515J · Apr 13, 2015

In our unit, 3 years would probably be ok, but would need training for deliveries. I work in NICU and as long as you have NRP, can run a code and function in the delivery room to resuscitate a baby if needed, you can do charge.