the charge nurses/supervisor relationship

[hollydoll]

Do staff see their charge nurse as a resource/support person? If so what in your opinion is the role of the charge nurse? Of the supervisor and why? If the staff are not being supported whose responsibility is that? the CN or the supervisor?

[purplemania, BSN, RN]

that is a really broad question and usually comes down to the individual and what they expect. I have been in all those positions and know that none were like I expected till I actually lived it. Being a supervisor sometimes means people are disappointed or angry over decisions I make when they do not see the whole picture. The successful manager will try to create a cohesive team out of multiple personalities - a real task!

[RNperdiem, RN]

The charge nurse is my first resource when I need help. Where I work, the charge nurse does not have a patient assignment and is really available to the nurses. The charge nurses I work with are also highly experienced; if my patient goes bad, I know I will be assisted.

The supervisor handles policy and general management issues. The charge nurse can use the house supervisor for planning admissions, staffing issues etc. The staff nurse generally does not have much to do with the sup during the working day.

[CVICURN2003]

The charge nurse is my first resource when I need help. Where I work, the charge nurse does not have a patient assignment and is really available to the nurses. The charge nurses I work with are also highly experienced; if my patient goes bad, I know I will be assisted.

The supervisor handles policy and general management issues. The charge nurse can use the house supervisor for planning admissions, staffing issues etc. The staff nurse generally does not have much to do with the sup during the working day.

That is exactly the way our hospital works. Sometimes our director of the ICU will assist. Especially if we call a code in the unit. Usually that means whoever is in there is drowning and we need help becasue our codes are usually "controlled" codes and we don't call them because its the ICU staff that responds and we are all there. usually, if we don't have a MD and a pt needs to be intubated without one of our docs around. Sometimes our director will help us recover a heart and do secondary if we are a little short staffed and no one can help settle them in.