So upset got passed for charge

Nurses General Nursing

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I am a 45yr old mom of 2 that graduated from nursing school may 08. Got a job in a large hosp that is 45min from home. Now I work 3 nites a week was 4 until I asked to decrease with summer coming up. I found out last nite that a girl 21 who started exactly 1month after me is going to be trained to be a charge nurse. Now she is a 1.0 and is 1/2 my age with no kids. But I am still upset I feel that I am not doing it. I have not been told anything bad, I do ask alot of questions vs many other nurses. But I am the one who is left on the floor alone when the others are on break, I am the nurse answering call bells. I am the nurse who goes around to other nurses and aides asking if they need help. I am the one who empties trash cans. I am the one who gets 2 admits while others have 3 empty beds. I feel so used and like I am not making it. I truly try my best I do not sit and gossip or read the paper or play on my phone. I am always checking labs looking things up. WHY.

Thanks for listening

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I don't think the OP should resign herself not to vent here again; sometimes we hear things that are unexpected when we post threads here. Maybe re-read the responses for personal introspection rather than taking things personal. The consensus here is that charge is not all it is cracked up to be and it is not for everybody. I'd rather be asked than mandated to do so as it has happened to me. I don't really have it bad, but mentally, it is more draining because I am responsible for everything happening in my corridor from the assignments of provider rooms to the behavior of the techs...none that I can really control but have to answer for, anyhow.

Just yesterday, for example, more residents were sent than I had rooms to accomodate them. No warning...they just showed up! Then, the attending suddenly shows up (LATE, mind you), and demands a room. The PCAs were complaining that they could not keep up, one snuck away at the busiest time, gee whiz! And, I had three patients that screamed at me because they felt I was too slow (well, of course I was, because I had to settle silly mess). I would have preferred to just do patients and let someone else deal with it. On top of that, I had to handle it diplomatically, when I really felt in my heart that all of them needed a paddle. They tell me in the beginning that this is temporary until they get another RN to take charge of that aisle, but then, they say that since there is a hiring freeze, that they can only get an agency nurse, and since agency RNs cannot be in charge, it still falls on me. Not happy, but I make it work because for one, I need a job and want to be a team player and two, I can certainly add this to my resume because if I were working in a nursing home setting, I can be a charge nurse. But, I would trade in a heartbeat just to avoid the silliness involved with that position.

If you desire the position, speak about it, ask how to work towards it, but keep in mind that sometimes, God knows best. I can even say for myself, maybe it was time to have more responsibility. Of course, I don't see it, now, but it will be a piece of the puzzle I'll need down the road, I am sure. Reading these threads does make me rethink my practice, my actions and my thoughts as a nurse and it can be the same for you. Good luck!

Sweet Lemon, age may have a LOT to do with it. When I hit 50 all of a sudden I stopped getting call backs to job inquiries and from interviews. I used to get calls from HR and nursing managers BEGGING me to come work for them, now I am invisible. OF COURSE, it probably has NOTHING to do with the fact that most of the folks that hold the hiring positions are now half my age and probably think I'm a granny to be put out to pasture. Go to the websites and check out the ages of the people pictured there. Not many gray hairs. My attendance is way better than the young chickies who call off every other weekend because they're out getting drunk the night before....sometimes with the bosses! I hadn't had a call off in 5 years until I had to have a hernia operation a few years ago.

Specializes in Operating Room.

Take it from someone who does this job...you don't want it. I don't know what you guys get paid for charge, but with us it's an extra $1.25 an hour. Think I should invest that money or what?:cool:

Count yourself lucky that you got passed over. Charge nurse is a thankless job.

Specializes in OR.

Ok this is what you need to do don't stew about it ask your manager what you need to acquire this position and go for it . I am sure they can always use a alternate charge nurse thats what my mom had done at her previous employer it worked out great for everybody.

Specializes in MS, OB, PEDI, VNA, TELEM.

That's about what we get to as compensation. If I save up enough of it maybe it will pay for my psychotherapy after i lose my mind from the job!:sofahider

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