Our new hire, new grad charge nurse

Katie5 · Dec 18, 2010

Why does it seem to gall you so? With yours and your colleagues vast experiences, you should be able to help her grow.So if she is there in a strictly "dummy" role till she acquires her experience, then take care of it.

We should rub off on each other in a good way.

Katie5 · Dec 18, 2010

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

I say good for her- she must have sold herself well during the interview.

TakeOne · Dec 19, 2010

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...

How on earth do my comments, which you lifted out of context and now have standing alone as non sequiturs, illustrate your point in even a sarcastic fashion?

I've been practicing for thirty years. Everything I've told you about seeing and doing, I've seen and done. My comments were in defense of the newer/younger/new grad nurses in charge position. Since the point of the original post was that new grads lack the experience to be charge and I was countering that, it's not possible that my comments in context support your contention at all.

"New" grad RNs and "new" hire RNs have been oriented to charge and rotated through charge for as long as I've been working. That's how it's been, and that's how it is. In long term care, LPNs are charge unless there's an RN working. That is how it is.

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.

Yes, it happens that ineffective nurses might pass off unstable patients as fast as they can without proper report. It isn't just new and inexperienced nurses who do it, and since you have worked for as long as you have, I KNOW you've had that happen to you as well.

As for your facility's "policy" concerning what to do when you disagree with the charge nurse, so what? You're responsible for your practice and if you believe that your patient is not getting the care he or she needs it's your responsibility to proceed up the ladder to get it addressed. It's called due diligence, it's a legal standard and you're in deep poo if you ignore it.

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.

There was no nuance in the original post, and no nuance in your last one. Resentment drives your post, no matter what your motives are.

iteachob, MSN, RN · Dec 20, 2010

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!!

You are correct! Not only that, but on the NCLEX-RN, the new grad may flunk if they don't know that they (as an RN) cannot delegate (to an LPN/LVN, CNA, or what have you) initial assessment, teaching OR nursing judgement......only the RN has this responsibility. Therefore, this requires that an RN be "in charge".

Probably, an LPN would be unaware of this, having never taken the NCLEX-RN. Or, they may be misinformed.....

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2010

my personal opinion is a charge nurse needs to be able to work the floor prior to being able to put in a charge position:yeah:. my hospital has lvn's and rn's working the floor but the charge nurses have many years experience and can hit the floor running if they had to. i for one have no desire to be a charge nurse to much drama with that position:uhoh3:. nevertheless, i would feel uncomfortable as well if a new bsn was put into a charge situation.

OCNRN63, RN · Dec 20, 2010

It's a shame. It sounds like the experienced LPNs on this unit aren't willing to band together and help this new nurse succeed, for the betterment of the unit. That's what grownups would do. Instead, it sounds like they are looking for ways to sabotage this new nurse.

I feel sorry for her. I wonder if she knows what a minefield she's stepping into.

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2010

I've been reading through the responses and was just wondering, would so many people be as encouraging of a new grad RN, BSN in charge if this unit was primarily staffed with RN's?

kimbo9 · Dec 21, 2010

It's a shame. It sounds like the experienced LPNs on this unit aren't willing to band together and help this new nurse succeed, for the betterment of the unit. That's what grownups would do. Instead, it sounds like they are looking for ways to sabotage this new nurse.

No, it's a shame that a hospital put a newly graduated BSN nurse in charge when she has had no prior experience in nursing, or anything else for that matter. We fully support her and have nothing against her personally. I don't care if it's an LPN, ADN, or BSN. If they are unexperienced, they should not be in charge.

agldragonRN · Dec 21, 2010

i've been reading through the responses and was just wondering, would so many people be as encouraging of a new grad rn, bsn in charge if this unit was primarily staffed with rn's?

i want my charge nurse to be knowledgeable clinically and be able to assist when i ask for help especially when i am a new rn.

why would the title of the staff change people's perspective?

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Dec 21, 2010

i want my charge nurse to be knowledgeable clinically and be able to assist when i ask for help especially when i am a new rn.
why would the title of the staff change people's perspective?

because alot of people responding are thinking nothing of a new grad rn being in a charge nurse role as long as she's supervising primarily lpn's. i was curious if people's opinions would differ if the unit was staffed primarily with rn's and there was still a new grad rn charge nurse.

backatit2 · Dec 21, 2010

I've been reading through the responses and was just wondering, would so many people be as encouraging of a new grad RN, BSN in charge if this unit was primarily staffed with RN's?

i think that's irrelevant. in THIS scenario, the unit isn't primarily RN's, yet the LPN's feel that they are "fit for the job" and they may well be IF the job were based on EXPERIENCE. unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) that's NOT the case.

hypothetically, if a unit were staffed with mostly RN's - there would be a RN who would've stepped into the position. it seems to me this is what the LPN's would like to do and think would be "fair" because they've been there longer, etc., but they CAN'T!

it's like a high school graduate that's a CNA complaining about a new doctor coming in. no matter how much you know (or think you know) this is one of those situations where that "piece of paper" as some like to call it - DOES MATTER!

casi, ASN, RN · Dec 21, 2010

Every place I've worked or done clinicals the charge nurse needs to have worked on that floor at least a year before they are allowed to train for charge. This makes sure that they are comfortable with the floors policy and proceedures and the patient population so they can handle emergencies as they pop up. I absolutely do not think that a new grad nurse with no prior job experience is in anyway qualified to work as a charge nurse. As a new nurse myself if I were offered this position I would be very tempted to turn it down. It's not safe.