Have any new grads been asked to be in charge?

NicuNightRN · Mar 11, 2006

I've also been an RN for about 8 months now. I have not been asked to be in charge, but in one of my final evals on orientation, my mgr said that they want me to start considering it later this year. I know that at this point, I am nowhere near ready to be in charge. I still frequently ask the charge nurse, and many of the other nurses on my unit, plenty of questions. I think that, for me, at least, being in charge so early in my career would not be something I can handle. I enjoy my role as a staff nurse...I think it would be best for me to get a really good grasp of the role, however, before I consider charging. What kind of unit do you work on? If you feel ready to do it, I'd definitely take the class and see how you feel after being in charge a few shifts. Good luck!!

Sarah

SFCardiacRN · Mar 11, 2006

A class on being "charge" sounds like an excellent opportunity. If I were you I would jump on it! There are too many poor managers out there because they have not had proper formal training. You can always decline later. IMHO

beckabeckahi · Mar 11, 2006

I can totally understand your hesitation, and only you know if you can handle it or not. I think though, that the other nurses on your unit were paying you a compliment by implying that they think you are ready for it. And a class? Oh my gosh, what an opportunity!! We have no classes, and although I am early in my training as a new nurse, there are situations that later on can make you charge by default, such as being the only RN on. Like the previous poster suggested, take the class and see how you feel then.

good luck.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Mar 11, 2006

It's a compliment that your peers think you're ready for that role.

I didn't take a class but was oriented to do charge and was doing charge after six months on the floor.

Good luck.

RoxanRN · Mar 11, 2006

Gosh... to have class or even orientation to charge would have been nice!! I got thrown (literally) into a relief charge roll at the age of 9 or 10 months. The regular charge had called in sick and I was the most senior on the unit :eek: (that night my staff was 3 or 4 5-month old nurses (all still rather green) and a M/S resource pool nurse). (Oh, BTW, my classmate/co-worker also got 'dragged' in in the same way on the same weekend. We now are the only 2 regular relief charges on the unit.) All in all, it wasn't a bad night. And that was about 16 months ago and I'm enjoying it (even if I always come home with a HA). :smokin:

Sapphy, BSN, RN · Mar 11, 2006

I too am a new grad and my co workers have asked me repeatedly when I am going to do charge. I love being a floor nurse most of the time but there are days that I think it would be a nice change of pace. I asked about orienting to charge and was told that I need to be there a year before I can...but rumor has it that it will happen sooner than that because we are desperate for charge nurses right now. That is a whole other story....

jessica1983 · Mar 13, 2006

Scary. I've been on my unit for 5 months now, and I think I would have a nervous breakdown. We don't have a charge nurse persay, we call it a "clinical resourse". I asked about how and when they put you in that role, and I was told usually not until at least a year, and basicaly you walk in that day and there your name is on the board. No orientation, no class. You just hope that by then you've picked up on what the role entails.

SheriLynnRN · Mar 13, 2006

I graduated in May 2004. I have not yet been in charge, and I don't intend to be anytime in the foreseeable future. I have been pretty vocal about my feelings around my coworkers, and I will probably be bringing the subject up with my manager at my next eval which is coming up soon. I absolutely do not feel comfortable with that role. It's not the charge RN tasks, like calling docs, making assignments, or checking charts that bother me. It's the idea that I would be essentially responsible for all 28 surgical pts. I'm too much of a control freak to have my license on the line like that. I trust the nurses and CNA's I work with, but I've seen too many charge nurses take the fall in unfortunate situations. Also, I don't feel like I have enough experience or expertise to be the "resource person" for other nurses. I ask WAY too many questions myself.

If I were ever to come to work and find myself in charge, I would refuse. It's not abandonment if you don't accept the asssignment in the first place. I would rather put my job in jepordy than my license.

Indy, LPN, LVN · Mar 13, 2006

My unit didn't have a class, they just called me right before work one night and suggested it, and started an orientation, and a week or so later, said "here you go." They tell me it's a compliment but it's really been a struggle for me to get my work done, the charge stuff done, and help my nurses, and act like I know what's going on, oh yes and making assignments is pure heck. I seem to find another way to screw up assignments every time I do them.

ark-two · Mar 14, 2006

I work nights, graduated in April am in charge every night. Our charge consists of ER room placement and rapid response and code blue calls. I'm always on code duty, so I've gotten a lot of experience. The reason I am in charge is because of RN shortage. AT least I have good LPN's most of the time. As for day shift charge, a lot of new grads are charging the floor right now. Our hired charge nurse is off on maternity leave.

rnrae · Mar 14, 2006

I graduated in July and I'm charge at a very small hospital (60 beds). There are 22 beds on the med/surg unit where I am. I HATE IT!!! Alot of paperwork, dealing with the docs (bad ones at that) and just not what I had in mind when I graduated. I have applied at a much larger hospital (700 beds) as a floor nurse in Oncology. I'm really looking forward to that!!

rnrae