Not getting charge nurse position

Specialties Management

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I have been a nurse for over 30 year and currently work in a Hospice inpatient facility.

I have many years of hospital experience including oncology, telemetry, med-surg and at one time was ACLS and PALS certified. I have worked in my current position as a staff nurse for 10 years. Recently our day charge nurse is retiring. I applied for the charge nurse position, but it went to a much younger and less experienced nurse. I was told by my manager that she could not stand the thought of losing me as a bedside nurse because she felt that was where I was most needed and felt that it would do the staff and patients a disservice if I was no longer providing direct patient care. Even though I find this a compliment I cannot help but feeling rather disappointed at her decision not to chose me as charge nurse. I have had my BSN since 1991 and am actively involved on many committees on our unit. I was told that the nurse that was chosen is interested in a management track and that they felt her goals aligned with the charge position. What I do think is sad is that my experience and dedication to our unit should have trumped the reasoning for hiring the other nurse into the position. I feel discouraged by this and am planning to educate myself in another field entirely and unfortunately leave nursing in the future. Am I right to feel this way or should I take this decision as an honest compliment and realize that my true talents are at the bedside?

I have been a nurse for over 30 year and currently work in a Hospice inpatient facility.

I have many years of hospital experience including oncology, telemetry, med-surg and at one time was ACLS and PALS certified. I have worked in my current position as a staff nurse for 10 years. Recently our day charge nurse is retiring. I applied for the charge nurse position, but it went to a much younger and less experienced nurse. I was told by my manager that she could not stand the thought of losing me as a bedside nurse because she felt that was where I was most needed and felt that it would do the staff and patients a disservice if I was no longer providing direct patient care. Even though I find this a compliment I cannot help but feeling rather disappointed at her decision not to chose me as charge nurse. I have had my BSN since 1991 and am actively involved on many committees on our unit. I was told that the nurse that was chosen is interested in a management track and that they felt her goals aligned with the charge position. What I do think is sad is that my experience and dedication to our unit should have trumped the reasoning for hiring the other nurse into the position. I feel discouraged by this and am planning to educate myself in another field entirely and unfortunately leave nursing in the future. Am I right to feel this way or should I take this decision as an honest compliment and realize that my true talents are at the bedside?

So sorry you're dealing with that... I think it's dirty of your company to treat you that way when you were obviously more qualified. If it were me, I'd look for a nurse management position at another company. If hired somewhere else, I'd give two week notice, leave & tell them why you're leaving!

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Specializes in Psychiatric Nursing.

I worked in management for 15 years. I got into it originally because I was a good, enthusiastic, committed staff nurse and I thought I could influence nursing. Well I couldn't, wouldn't, didn't. It is a very different job. Politics-muck-I won't say any more. Now I work as an APRN. I direct the care of my patients. Much more satisfying for me. I learned a lot as a manager- but I always felt burdened and the politics were wearing. Some people are good at it. I am glad to not do it now. I love patient care. Management is a different set of skills.

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What's even funnier is that the charge position only pays $1.25 more an hour

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In our facility, the charge position doesn't require the most experienced and/or strongest clinical skills, but rather requires leadership abilities, dependability, a solid work record, and a proven ability to promote an harmonious environment. I certainly recognize that you may very well encompass these traits, so please don't think that I am saying anything to the contrary! I am just sharing some information that I hope may help.

I have been the newer nurse who was selected for the Charge position, and there was naturally a lot of resentment, which I certainly understood. I also felt very uncomfortable and yes, maybe a bit guilty for the first couple of weeks, because I have a lot of gratitude for several of those nurses who helped to train me when I first graduated.

However, what many did not realize is that I am a second-degree R.N. with a lengthy and extensive background in H.R. I use that experience on a daily basis. I know of several newer nurses at our facility who have been rapidly promoted, and some of them are second-degree nurses, and bring non-nursing-related experience with them.

I don't agree with your manager's reasoning that it would be a disservice to your patients to pull you away from the bedside. That sounds very canned, and I would have been insulted that s/he couldn't treat me as a professional, and tell me the facts. It could very well be that the newer nurse has a broad background that benefits your organization, or maybe his/her personality is a closer match to what your facility looks for in their managerial staff. Or as someone else stated in a different way, maybe this candidate is someone your manager feels comfortable working with because of a similar communication/interpersonal style.

Again, not saying anything about you, but my situation in particular was interesting, because some of the nurses who applied, while competent, experienced, and very helpful to me, really were not a managerial fit. The reasons range from having a reputation of not actively helping other nurses when they could have, but would instead be on their personal cell phone or reading books, (non-job-related!), while acting as shift charge nurse, blaring music in the charting room, demonstrating passive-aggressive behaviors to other staff, cliquish or nurse bullying behaviors, calling in frequently, cursing or vulgar language in open areas, negative conflict resolution behaviors with other staff; I could go on. Basically, some would not be a charge nurse you would want to work with.

I am very sorry that this opportunity didn't work out for you, and sure understand your feelings of frustration, especially after all those years of service. Maybe you could try again with your manager, and explain that you would like to be considered for promotion within your organization, and be specific with what you would like to do, without necessarily talking about your clinical experience. I would focus on your ability to facilitate change, lead a team, promote a positive working environment, conflict-resolution skills, etc. Those are all management-related abilities that many organizations look for when promoting.

Lastly, for the record, I am in my 50's as well, so I don't necessarily think that age is as much of a factor as it used to be. Of course, it may depend on the facility's culture and philosophy, but I wouldn't ever assume that. By this time, there is a level of maturity in many of this age group. It's a little easier to keep things in perspective without sweating the small stuff! Good luck to you.

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Specializes in Rehabilitation,Critical Care.

Follow your heart. 30 years of nursing is commendable. Congrats 😃

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I would find the highly patronizing comments about not getting a charge position because I'm so good as a staff nurse to be extremely offensive and a cop out for not giving me your real reasons for not choosing me.

Having said that, I have also seen someone become my permanent charge nurse simply because she felt entitled because she put in her time and was the most experienced.

Current research/literature now demonstrates that choosing someone for leadership positions based on clinical skills and experience has been a tradition in nursing that needs to change.

Leadership positions are no longer for people to settle into and slow down as one ages and prepares for retirement. We need people with ambition and get up and go.

It it was extremely frustrating to have both a charge nurse and a manager who were desperately hanging onto their positions showing up for work every day sighing, rolling their eyes, and acting like they were so stressed out all the time while counting the days until they could retire.

I am now the manager and I chose a charge nurse with pep and get up and go because I feel there is no longer any room for people in leadership positions who can barely get out of bed let alone lead a team.

This is might not describe the OP at all and she might not have been chosen based on purely political reasons hence my comments about her managers patronizing remarks.

I say to the OP if you have the ambition for this type of position then you need to leave and go for a leadership position in another unit or facility. Your manager does not appreciate your leadership capabilities.

I know several people who left hospitals after 10 or 20 years to get an opportunity at an outside hospital for a leadership position to show what they are capable of.

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Current research/literature now demonstrates that choosing someone for leadership positions based on clinical skills and experience has been a tradition in nursing that needs to change.

Yeah, what sort of idiot would want a manager with experience and clinical skills? Give me a 22 year old new grad MSN who wrote her capstone thesis on "The Dynamics of Synergizing Trans-Realtional Leadership Opportunities", thank you very much.

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I get where you might interpret my comment that way, but that's not what I meant. I meant to say choosing someone for a leadership position based on clinical skills and experience alone without considering other factors. I did not mean to say ignore their clinical experience and pick someone who wrote a great thesis.

When I was 35 I had a 28 year old manager and I really didn't think she was mature enough for the manager role either. Some 28 year olds might be but she was not.

We all know nurses who are experts in their specialty and can run circles around the others but might have difficulty in getting along with others, working together as a team, bullying behavior, etc.

I agree that the chosen charge nurse or manager should have top notch clinical skills but we as a profession have traditionally chosen people for leadership roles based on skills and experience alone and that's what needs to change.

Almost all of my previous managers and some permanent charge nurses that I've worked with in my career were great nurses but lacked people and leadership skills.

Leadership roles go beyond nursing skills and abilities. Nurses at the bedside are leaders and this is where leadership development begins.

Your staff nurses who are good at dealing with difficult patients, family members, and colleagues and who consistently set a good example to their peers are the ones you need to encourage to pursue charge and leadership roles, not the nurse who can take the sickest patient on 5 drips but maybe complains constantly and puts down her colleagues, aggressive personality, and has poor stress management and coping skills.

Or this great nurse could be the exact opposite. Great nurse but when you put her in a leadership role she ignores bad behavior and problems on the unit because she doesn't want to deal with conflict or doesn't know how and lacks the skills.

This is who we have traditionally placed into these roles looking solely at their clinical abilities and not their leadership capabilities and this is how institutions end up with bullying and ineffective nurse managers and charge nurses.

Since most people leave their jobs because of their boss, institutions are starting to pay attention to this and it is being studied.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

Almost all of my previous managers and some permanent charge nurses that I've worked with in my career were great nurses but lacked people and leadership skills. ....

Since most people leave their jobs because of their boss, institutions are starting to pay attention to this and it is being studied.

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THANK YOU!!!

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Specializes in Hospice.

I think the short form is that clinical nursing and management are two different skill sets. Ignore or discount either one and you're set up for trouble.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.
Yeah, what sort of idiot would want a manager with experience and clinical skills? Give me a 22 year old new grad MSN who wrote her capstone thesis on "The Dynamics of Synergizing Trans-Realtional Leadership Opportunities", thank you very much.

Now read the OPs response. No one is advocating for education only nurse leaders. However, a nurse that is clinically good with years of work experience with or without education does not equate to a good nurse leader either. Education and work experience are components of a good nurse leader. Attitude, enthusiasm, ability to work with different people, speaking skills, problem solving skills (outside of the floor), being a team leader, etc. are other components necessary to do the job well.

I had a few bad nurse managers similar to the other poster. Two were a hot-mess! One I call a clique-leader. She had very little clinical bedside background (and it showed). She also was a passive-agressive-introvert that only had the ability to tell her friends what to do (basically what they wanted to hear) and ignored the rest of the group. Thus, she did not know how to talk to anyone who was not her friend so she did'nt! She avoided conflict because she was not comfortable, which caused people outside of the clique to get higher work loads and responsibilities on a day-to-day basis... vacation requests were either denied or delayed (basically her friends came first)... and evaluations were scetchy at best! In any case, that floor had a high turnover rate because no one outside of her clique could stand to work for her!

On the flip side, another former manager I call a non-leader/non-charge nurse had many decades of work experience and wanted to get away from bedside drama, but decided to stay in the hospital setting in the ED. She had a bad attitude and troubles at home that she brought to work!! In addition, any conflicts between staff, she would walk away from.... Any conflict with patients, she would walk away from... Anything missing/equipment broken... she walked away from...!! The turnover rate was about 2 months in that ED (Actually some nurses to include travelers who broke contracts left before 30 days were up)......!!

I am now a nurse leader too. I have years of work experience and education to match. However, on a daily basis (and over the past several years prior to becoming a nurse leader) I have spent a lot of time growing leadership skills that matter in being an effective nurse leader, which are the ones pointed out in RN34TX's post.

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