Our new hire, new grad charge nurse

Nurses General Nursing

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Let me ask you guys your opinion on this. They just hired a graduate nurse on our med surg floor and made her the charge nurse. She has zero experience. She is a BSN nurse, and the majority of us are LPNs that have been here a while. I don't have a problem with a grad nurse being a charge nurse, but with no experience at all? Has management in this hospital lost their minds? :confused:

...I don't have a problem with a grad nurse being a charge nurse...

You sound like you have a problem with it, no matter how much you deny it.

She's the RN. You're LPNs. She's in charge, even though she's a new grad with no experience (how much experience would you expect a new grad to have, anyway--let's be real here). That's how it works.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

I'm just shocked that there are still acute-care hospitals around that employ mostly LPNs on a med-surg floor, with only one RN as supervisor. I thought only LTCs did that nowadays.

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I am just wondering, Was this new Grad possibly an LPN prior to being a "new RN grad"? i didn't see that question asked.

good point

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Specializes in cardiac.

Most states MANDATE that an RN is in charge; the LPN is licensed to practice ONLY WHEN SUPERVISED by an RN. Don't resent the new grad because she worked hard for that BSN, you should support her in her new role. This is not something new, and most employers are willing to offer assistance for any LPN to return to school for their RN degree. As an LPN you must be used to this; it has been this way at least for the last 25 years that I've been a nurse!!

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the point i was trying to make here is that rn's unlike lpn's dont have to have a specific certificate that indicates they can administer iv meds, start iv's.

i didn't disagree with this.

being iv certified means not only can you start iv's but you can also administer iv meds, dc picc lines, cvc etc. i find it quite hilarious that ur hosp would require one to have 5 supervised documented iv starts before one can do them on their own. does this guarantee that they will be successful in all other iv starts for the rest of their nursing careers???

it's not intended to guarantee that every iv start will be successful. it's to assure that the nurse is competent in the procedure of starting ivs. btw, this is required of all nurses new to the hospital, not just new grads.

i dont know any new grad rn who has never had a chance to start an iv.

i do.

unless of course their whole degree was online and they had no clinical experience which is not possible.

one thing that the original post doesnt address is how new is the new grad??? i hv bn an rn for 2 years in sicu/trauma icu/cvicu and i can tell you all the nurses that are much older and have tons of experience still regard me as a new grad.

this doesn't surprise me. whether or not one is considered to be a new grad is relative.

some people are just fast learners. my nursing manager graduated just 1 semester before me and he has as much knowledge and experience, he worked as a staff nurse for 2 years fresh out of school in the same unit, in his 20's and he is quite capable of the job. management would dare not give him this position if they didnt think he could do it esp since i work at a teaching facility, level 1 trauma center.

i'm sure there are many here who can testify to the lack of credibility regarding management's decisions at some hospitals.

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i'm sorry, but you don't sound like an RN - rather a resentful LPN.

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
You sound like you have a problem with it, no matter how much you deny it.

She's the RN. You're LPNs. She's in charge, even though she's a new grad with no experience (how much experience would you expect a new grad to have, anyway--let's be real here). That's how it works.

That's NOT how it worked a few years ago-the most qualified nurses were in charge positions.With the changes in health care today administration is quick to cry "poor mouth".Were I work they just made all of the RN's apply for a very few positions they are newly creating. Want to bet that they are given to the new nurses? It's cheaper that way and it's all about the bottom line.

Some of you on this thread remind me of a few of the new in-experienced nurses I work with-they do not like to be "second guessed" by those of us who have been at the bedsides of these residents for several years and know them well. They are so puffed up with their self-importance but they don't know that even the medical director is scared of them. Is it so hard to acknowledge that you may NOT know everything? That some one with less education then yourselves may have picked up on some nugget of knowledge through years of experience that you may benefit from? In all of my years in acute, long term and private duty nursing I can honestly say that this behavior is more prevalent now then ever before ,in my experience. I have worked with one or two nurses through the years that acted like I was dirt under their shoes-it never took me long to earn respect through giving the same and showing that I had the knowledge I needed to perform my duties.

I think that some of you are reading into the OP-she does not sound resentful at all. She is concerned that she and her co-workers are not going to have strong back up. A very real concern when facilities will lay off the most experienced staff .Saving money has become more important then patient outcome.

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That's NOT how it worked a few years ago-the most qualified nurses were in charge positions.

Nonsense. That IS how it is and how it's been for as long as I've been practicing. All RNs learned to do charge, and rotated through the position if there was more than one RN on the unit per shift.

Some of you on this thread remind me of a few of the new in-experienced nurses I work with-they do not like to be "second guessed" by those of us who have been at the bedsides of these residents for several years and know them well.

And what about the rest of us, who don't fit that particular category? What is your estimation of why WE don't agree with you?

They are so puffed up with their self-importance but they don't know that even the medical director is scared of them. Is it so hard to acknowledge that you may NOT know everything? That some one with less education then yourselves may have picked up on some nugget of knowledge through years of experience that you may benefit from? In all of my years in acute, long term and private duty nursing I can honestly say that this behavior is more prevalent now then ever before ,in my experience. I have worked with one or two nurses through the years that acted like I was dirt under their shoes-it never took me long to earn respect through giving the same and showing that I had the knowledge I needed to perform my duties.

So, I guess I don't understand your point. Do you want to be charge?

I think that some of you are reading into the OP-she does not sound resentful at all. She is concerned that she and her co-workers are not going to have strong back up. A very real concern when facilities will lay off the most experienced staff .Saving money has become more important then patient outcome.

The OP sounds resentful of new grads in charge positions, and so do you.

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I am just wondering, Was this new Grad possibly an LPN prior to being a "new RN grad"? i didn't see that question asked.

No. Not at all. This new grad has never done anything in the medical profession. This is actually her first job.

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Specializes in LTC, med/surg, hospice.

I don't think that the OP sounds resentful at all..merely asked for other opinions and somehow that equates to jealously.

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I don't think that the OP sounds resentful at all..merely asked for other opinions and somehow that equates to jealously.

She sounds highly resentful. She's not necessarily jealous, but she is very resentful of newly hired new grad RNs in charge positions.

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Nonsense. That IS how it is and how it's been for as long as I've been practicing. All RNs learned to do charge, and rotated through the position if there was more than one RN on the unit per shift.

And what about the rest of us, who don't fit that particular category? What is your estimation of why WE don't agree with you?

So, I guess I don't understand your point. Do you want to be charge?

The OP sounds resentful of new grads in charge positions, and so do you.

wow-thanks for perfectly illustrating my point.It's just beyone the pale that someone with less education then you may possess some useful knowledge that you don't.

How long have you been practicing? My opinions are based on my 22 years experience as a nurse in acute and long term care. I don't know what you have seen-this is what is happening around here.10 years ago not a single hospital in my area would stick a new grad in a charge nurse position. It just was NOT DONE. And there was no "rotating though" BS.

As for being "in charge" -yep, I've done it. Now I am glad for the younger in-experienced nurses wearing the bullseye.I just want to work until I can retire. I am a strong patient advocate and am confident in my skills.I have no problem asking for what I need and if I think a resident's condition needs attention and the RN does not agree I know exactly how to proceed per my facility policy and procedure (yes-we have one for this because it is happening frequently and most times the resident has proven to be in real trouble)

I don't believe for a second that in your years of nursing each and every one of you have never taken report and discovered a patient circling the drain and a new in-experienced nurse running from the building as fast as she can.You all KNOW it happens.

There is a difference between being "resentful" or concerned for the wellfare of the pts/residents. Maybe that's a nuance you don't get.

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