Mom is charge nurse

[GracePressure]

I work on a unit where one of the charge nurses on my line is also my co-worker's mom (co-worker is on the same line, also a nurse). There is some preferential treatment going on but it's hard to pinpoint. I don't think it's fair that her mom has potential say over whether I get a new admission or she does, and if there is a dispute between us we go to her mom? The frontline nurse is really nice and we don't have much conflict but it makes me nervous. Also if patients are complaining to the charge nurse shouldn't they know they're complaining to her mom? I hate this situation so much and it's making me feel paranoid, like there is this alliance on my line and I am at a disadvantage.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

It's possible there is a policy that your facility has regarding family members on the same unit and any restrictions such as:

• completely not allowed and one will be required to transfer
• permitted as long as one is not in a formal supervisory role one the other
• permitted as long as one is not in a formal or non-formal supervisory role (like charge)
• permitted

You'll need to research your facility's policies.

[MarkMyWords]

Not all mothers support and favor their adult children. Some are critical and some will do anything for them.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

Where I used to work there were two sisters, one was a Unit Manager, and one was a floor nurse, They worked different units which was allowed. The sister that had been Unit Manger was promoted to ADON, then DON. There were concerns about favoritism but nobody ever saw any blatant favoritism so eventually talk died down. They are both still in those roles several years later with no issues. I'm guessing it was allowed because while the DON is supervisor of all nursing, the floor nurse sister's direct supervisor is the Unit Manager?  It would have been against policy for them to work the same unit if one was the direct supervisor of the other. Check your facility policy to see what it says about relatives or significant others working together.