Charge Nurses and the units budget

[Justanurse1]

I am an RN who recently completed my MBA. I learned a great deal about the financial side of healthcare;things that affected my practice but I had never heard of while I was working as a staff/charge nurse. It has started me wondering how many charge nurses understand about hours per patient day, adjusted occupied bed, FTE's etc. It is my opinion that if the charge nurses were given adequate information about the units budget and what it means, both to the unit and the hospital, that we would be better equipped and make better decisions related to our units. What do you think?

[zima60]

I have been a charge nurse of the ED fulltime for 2 yrs now (partime for about 10 yrs) I have been begging my manager to let me take on more responsibility along these lines-she agreed but hasn't happened. Not sure if it's a control issue or if she just doesn't have time to teach. I had my own business (computers) for 12 yrs while I did part time nursing so am fully aware of the finances. I firmly believe that the staff should be educated in the business side of nursing-shared governence. Educating us on the cost of diversion significantly cut down that practice at our hospital (and the fact that it won't be an option soon anyway)

[unikuelady, RN]

You might not want to be to quick to tackle the added information and the responsibility that goes with it. I was eager once and wanted to learn everything I could to be the best charge nurse ever. I succeeded...but at a terrible personal cost. I am one of those nurses who want to make working conditions for the staff and patient care to be the best in the entire hospital. At first my nurse manager was very supportive--------until----I started to see where the budget money was going.....how the decisions were made. NOT PRETTY. I was hopeful that I could change things for the better, after 2 years of trying, an ulcer, and emotional breakdown (needing to take stress related leave). I changed to a different nursing dept to start over. The bottom line was to make the staff work with minimal supplies, minimal staff, outdated equipment, but buy new curtains-remodel to make the hospital LOOK good. It ended up IMO that getting "clients" was more important that the care they received:angryfire

I was happy being "just" a charge nurse. Once I learned about the financial part-I was "expected" to make decisions that would have been the managers job. If I made the "wrong" decision-it was my fault and the manager had no repercussions. Yet I received no further increase in pay. The manager got all the bonuses for my work. sorry to turn this into a vent. perhaps it could be different somewhere else.

[banditrn]

Budgets - phooey!! I've seen how that can go - spend, spend, spend on 'beautification', then buy the cheapest supplies you can!!

Spend $500 per staff to attend a rah-rah spirit building seminar, then short staff them - because of the budget.