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.

[IdrilRN, BSN, RN]

I have an ADN and and passed my boards last week. I am training tonight for relief charge. I won't be on my own for a couple of months, going to have many dry runs. I also have worked here for 2 1/2 years as an LPN.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

I'm confused.

Wiki says: A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is an advanced-level postgraduate degree for registered nurses and is considered an entry-level degree for nurse educators and managers. The degree also may prepare a nurse to seek a career as a nurse administrator, health policy expert, or clinical nurse leader.

My time as charge includes lots of staffing issues (administrative stuff), regulatory obligations (policy) and leadership skills (educating by example) and also customer service recovery (hotel management). It seems that at least part of that is covered in post-graduate work.

First, Wikipedia is not what I would consider a reliable resource.

Second, those all are topics covered in ADN programs.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

Yep and manager too.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

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.

While I agree whole heartedly with what you are saying, those degrees are not mere "scraps of paper", but represent a lot of hard work, time, effort, and as you advance to MSN and even higher, knowledge. People speak of experience and on the job skills as though they are vastly superior to "knowledge," but to be the best nurse you can be, I think it is important to possess both (you did mention knowledge, but many nurses scoff at the concept of knowledge if it is gained through formal education). I say that as a RN who has a lot of respect for the amount of work required to go up the education ladder. I just don't have any more energy for that after getting two bachelor's degrees in two different fields. I know I'm just not up to doing any more, at least right now. I admire those that have the time, means, and desire to continue their formal education.

Also, there ARE certain positions within many health care entities where certain degrees are REQUIRED. So it's really not accurate to say that "scraps of paper" are irrelevant. They may hold more importance than they should in some arenas, but that doesn't change the reality of it.

As for who does "charge," in my unit, charge responsibilities go to nurses who display clinical competency and the ability to juggle their own nursing responsibilities with the administrative and leadership skills needed to run the unit for the shift. Charge nurse DOES take patients. That job goes to ADN's as well as BSN's. Unit manager at my hospital requires clinical competency, leadership and administrative skills, and a MSN.