needs input to keep my inner peace

[singleye]

I transfered to my current unit for about a year. It's a great unit: my boss is excellent, my coworkers are nice, and the job is easy. However, I feel that recently I felt bothered a lot at work, I need help to keep my inner peace!

The major prob. is with a couple of charge nurses. They are young, cocky, and dangerous in my opinion. An example:

One time I have to change the chest tube canister, I had everything set up, but forgot whether I have to clamp the chest tube or not before I switch the canister. I asked the charge nurse, she hesitated for a second, then she said "no". So I changed the canister without clamping the chest tube. I found on the manufacturer's website later on that you do need to clamp the chest tube before changing the canister. Glad the pt had a pigtail and no harm was done, but I was upset. You don't need to know everything but don't pretend that you do! My trust in you could have put patient safety and my license in danger! The same charge nurse kept Cardizem at lowest rate without titrating it up because " the pt's HR was 150s one hour ago and now she is 130s, I don't want to bring it done too fast." What???

It's frequent that our charge nurses have to call other unit to ask what type of blood tubing to use. one time one charge nurse proudly states " SVT and V-tach are pretty much the same thing", the other time the charge nurse titrated a drip up and down without documenting any changes in the MAR... These charge nurses are the ones that frequently tell me what to do with my patients...

In addition to the lack of clinical experiences, our charge nurses are very privileged. We are a very small unit and the charge sometimes have to be in staffing. They always have the easiest one or two pt assignment but they will NOT help or selectively help since they "are in staffing".

I don't have prob. with the two charge nurses personally and I don't ever want to be in charge, but I feel that it's starting to really bother me I need some input to keep my inner peace and keep me sane till my year is up here.

[JKL33]

Don't interact with them as much. Don't ask them questions when you can find the answers yourself using your P&P manuals or the manufacturer info included w/ the device or med or whatever.

Go about your own business.

Stop critiquing them. I'm not criticizing you when I say that - - what I'm saying is that if they get under your skin then leaving them alone is for your own peace of mind. The less you know about what they're doing/saying, the better. CN isn't an easy role; doing it while being in any kind of assignment is worse. Who cares if they're privileged, anyway.

Quit worrying about them. You are being paid to do something regardless of what they do; just do it to the best of your ability.

Focus on taking great care of your patients and helping others when you can.

[Daisy4RN]

Agree with JKL33. Just focus on yourself and your work. You will always work with people that you don't necessarily like or that you have problems with. It is not worth sacrificing your inner peace. Let them do what they are going to do. Also, having been a Charge RN while also taking patients I can tell you it is difficult, so yes, the Charge will get the "easy" patients but that doesn't mean the day is easy for the Charge RN (being a Charge RN is difficult enough without having patients!). If that is the only reason you plan on staying only a year I might reconsider.

[cleback]

So now you know not to ask them clinical questions. Maybe instead of getting annoyed at a lack of knowledge, you can propose a chest tube refresher at your next skills day, ekg review, etc. It just seems like an enormous waste of emotional energy to be hot and bothered by them.

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Also, having been a Charge RN while also taking patients I can tell you it is difficult, so yes, the Charge will get the "easy" patients but that doesn't mean the day is easy for the Charge RN (being a Charge RN is difficult enough without having patients!).

This! If I am in charge and in staffing, you're darn right I am going to take a light assignment. Do you really think a charge nurse has time to get tied up with a heavy load? He/she has a ton of other responsibilities that still need attention. If you are ever a charge nurse, OP, you will understand this better. And not taking your work home helps greatly with inner peace. :) Take care.

[twinsmom788]

they are so wrong always clamp

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

I feel your pain. I know that it's my responsibility to look up policy, procedure, etc. I also know that if I don't have time, I am *hoping* my charge will know. But now you know that your initial assessment was correct, and now you know that if you rely on their quick answer, you might be explaining yourself and "but the charge said it was OK" will def not fly.

Hang in there. You are going to do the right thing by your patients, even if you have to do it alone.

[pixierose, BSN, RN]

So now you know not to ask them clinical questions. Maybe instead of getting annoyed at a lack of knowledge, you can propose a chest tube refresher at your next skills day, ekg review, etc. It just seems like an enormous waste of emotional energy to be hot and bothered by them.

^^ Great response.

And in regards to the charge nurse and assignments ... I just started doing charge, and due to short staffing the charge nurse also takes a full case load. It's HARD. There is just so much to the charge role that you bet your sweet aunt Fanny I'm taking some of the easiest patients.

[Emergent, RN]

I think the trend these days is that the charge nurse is more of a unit coordinator, not necessarily a seasoned nurse to turn to for clinical expertise. You see a lot of young, smart, capable newer nurses filling the position who don't have years and years of nursing experience, but understand computer systems, and overall work flow of the unit.

You may have a more seasoned nurse in the unit with vast clinical knowledge, but no inclination, desire, or talent to be in a charge nurse role. Find out who that is for your questions.