So I frequently fill the charge nurse role at my endoscopy unit. We got a new manager about 5 months ago who unfortunately has no nursing experience. It sounds as though he got his license a couple years ago and he was very vague about his experience which eventually was discovered to be limited to helping a new clinic get started.
He seemed enthusiastic but was supposed to follow me a few shifts, train how to do the schedule with me. Be present on the floor etc. None of that had happened. Ultimately he still doesn’t know how to do anything I do. He’s uncomfortable talking with angry patients. I can handle most things but when I need him he isn’t available.
The main issues I have are:
His inability to understand our workflows
His inability to hold staff accountable with frequent sick calls,
His inability to respond appropriately with issues such as short staffing including not being able to provide me with accurate staffing counts of who is actually working what days
His inability to communicate effectively. Yesterday he had a meeting with two of our nurses during shift. They told me about it but he never communicated. I needed them to relieve other staff members by a certain time and my phone calls and texts to him were left unanswered leaving me scrambling including telling a physician in the hospital I didn’t have the staff I needed available for another case.
Now apparently my director is off for two months. I’m going to attempt to have a conversation with him today about what I need from him but at what point do I just give up and say good luck you need to find someone else in the department willing to do charge?
