Do Adn/Rn's ever get to be a charge nurse?

[northmississippi]

Do Adn/rn's ever get to be a charge nurse or some sort of floor manager? Maybe after so many years of nursing? If not, what would be the minimum education/experiance to get there?

thanks.

[foreverLaur]

A floor manager has to have a BSN at any magnet hospital. There are no magnet rules governing staff nurses and charge nurses for magnet designation. I worked at OhioHealth and on my floor, all the charge nurses were ADN prepared as they had been there the longest.

[lckrn2pa]

Yes you can be charge and manager. I was both at a 15 bed ER in east tennessee.

[Juwon]

Yes they can be charge nurse. My aunt was charge nurse on the floor in her unit as an ADN with less than a year of nursing experience

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

That's about all I ever did was be in charge. 2 yr.

[Orange Tree]

I was encouraged/forced to be charge a few times not long after I was off orientation. Thank goodness, there were a few experienced LVNs around who knew what to do.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

A floor manager has to have a BSN at any magnet hospital.

*** That is not the case at all. You will find many ADN nurses working as unit managers in Magnet hospitals. I can think of 4 or 5 right off the top of my head. The SICU where I worked hired a new NM who does not have any degree other than his ADN and only 6 months after they hired him we went through our re-designation for Magnet. Several other unit manager in our hospital are ADNs. The same is true for the other Magnet hospital in our area (I work at both).

To the OP: I have worked in 4 different states in many different hospitals and have never even heard of a nurses degree being taken into account for charge nurse roll.

[GeneralJinjur]

Yep. Did it last shift and a few times last week. Since I'm a newbie, I ask everyone who has been there longer lots of questions.

[llg, PhD, RN]

*** That is not the case at all. You will find many ADN nurses working as unit managers in Magnet hospitals. I can think of 4 or 5 right off the top of my head. The SICU where I worked hired a new NM who does not have any degree other than his ADN and only 6 months after they hired him we went through our re-designation for Magnet. Several other unit manager in our hospital are ADNs. The same is true for the other Magnet hospital in our area (I work at both).

To the OP: I have worked in 4 different states in many different hospitals and have never even heard of a nurses degree being taken into account for charge nurse roll.

The Magnet requirement that 100% of all nurse managers have at least a BSN won't go into effect until January 2013. As of January 2011, the rule is 75% of all nurse managers must have at least a BSN.

So ... while currently and in the past, people with ADN's and Diplomas could be promoted into Manger roles, that is happening less and less. People looking ahead who wish to work in management positions in Magnet hospitals will need to be getting their BSN's. Certification is also strongly encouraged, but not required.

I haven't seen any requirements that specifically mention Charge Nurses ... but the trend is heading in that direction.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

So ... while currently and in the past, people with ADN's and Diplomas could be promoted into Manger roles, that is happening less and less. People looking ahead who wish to work in management positions in Magnet hospitals will need to be getting their BSN's. Certification is also strongly encouraged, but not required.

I haven't seen any requirements that specifically mention Charge Nurses ... but the trend is heading in that direction.

*** Yes that certainly is the direction things are headed. I do wonder, with Magnet hospital's fast growing reputation as not being good places to work, if Magnet will continue to be as sought after as it has been in the recent past.

[oldrn1954]

As an Associate Degree RN, I not only did charge in a 42 bed ER, I was also Director of a 16 bed ER for two years. Experience and proving yourself worthy of the position is of utmost importance. Resposibility, knowledge, respect and compassion will get you further than a scrap of paper that has ADN, BSN, MSN on it, believe me.

[barbyann]

I am surprised that when charge role is determined it does not automatically go to the highest educational level RN on shift. I, an ADN, was always charging and found it strange that the nurses with MSNs were not. I often wondered if a lawsuit was to arise how the hospital would explain that in court.