ICU Charge Nurse with Patient Assignment

[joeameehan]

I work in a facility in Manhattan that until recently did not assign the charge nurse a patient load. It was understood that the charge nurse would pick up patients as the need arose. A recent decision has been made where the charge nurse is now assigned two patients and they need to manage that assignment in conjunction with all the many other duties of a charge nurse. I am wondering if this new practice is common in other facilities? Does your ICU charge have a patient assignment? Thanks!

[313RN, BSN, RN]

I'm in an urban trauma hospital with 48 ICU beds out of about 200 total.

Where I am senior staff (on the unit 1 year) takes turns as charge. Usually one day per week per nurse. Some units charge makes the assignment, some units RNs select their assignment after a brief report from the off-going charge.

As far as assignments go, you get what you get. There's no effort for or expectation of a lighter load when you're charge.

Rapid response never takes patients, SWAT (ICU transport/travel) gets pulled into staffing as necessary but generally has no assignment either.