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:

Specializes in LTC, med/surg, hospice.

Whatever my title is, I want a charge nurse that is a good resource to the staff with some knowledge base of policy and procedure clinical and otherwise.

I'm a charge nurse and I would not have been appropriate choice as a charge nurse fresh out of school. I STILL barely feel "qualified" to do it and I've been an RN for 2 years.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatric, Hospice.

I'm disappointed that this thread became an RN vs. LPN battle. No where in the OP is any resentment or jealousy implied towards the new RN from any LPN- the problem is that a BRAND NEW nurse is expect to operate as a charge nurse without any independent clinical experience on her own. I'd be very nervous to have my charge nurse be that new regardless of my title, LPN or RN. I'd be even more nervous as the new RN taking on that role! It has NOTHING to do with 'jealousy' of the RN and everything to do with the safety of a brand new NURSE being put in charge like that of an entire floor. :uhoh3:

Poor thing- maybe she is a new grad BSN but has prior nursing experience as an LPN?

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If this RN is brand spanking new, I'm thinking she would be on orientation for at least a couple of months. Maybe she can be super-efficient and precept herself. Makes about as much sense.

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.
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!

I have in no way gotten the impression that the OP feels that she is more "fit for the job"

I have been a nurse (RN, not that it matters), for 2 1/2 years. As a new grad I would have been scared out of my mind to be put in a position of authority. Sure, I have the degree, I have the book learning, but I lacked leadership skills, I lacked good assessment experience, and I would not have been a good resource for others. I feel like the same can be said, without exception, of all new grads.

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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:

that's what i was referring to. what else is "the majority of us are LPNs that have been here awhile" supposed to imply? what was the point of that statement?

to ME it says, "one of us should be in charge."

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.
that's what i was referring to. what else is "the majority of us are LPNs that have been here awhile" supposed to imply? what was the point of that statement?

to ME it says, "one of us should be in charge."

I disagree. It implies "oh crap we all know more than the person in charge, this is going to be scary." I have no desire to be a charge nurse, but I have worked under some less experienced/incompetent charge nurses. It didn't mean I wanted their job, but I did watch them closer.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
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.

But the fact is, mgmt. put her there. If you don't like it, complain to mgmt.

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I disagree. It implies "oh crap we all know more than the person in charge, this is going to be scary." I have no desire to be a charge nurse, but I have worked under some less experienced/incompetent charge nurses. It didn't mean I wanted their job, but I did watch them closer.

umm, that particular statement in no way implies that, but okie dokie. :cool:

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Specializes in LTC, med/surg, hospice.

I guess I'm reading something different than everyone else.

TO ME, Op is nervous having an unexperienced charge and probably questions if that is the BEST that management could do. Nowhere did she say...she or one of the other LPNs would have been a better choice or anything similar. Sheesh...

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Specializes in Emergency Room, Specialty Infusions.

I want to "Thank" all the LPN's out there that "raised" me right. It was an LPN that taught me how to access a porta-cath, to multi-task a million things at once, to not let things get to me and it "will always get better, and if it doesn't, the shift is over." Thank you, Thank you!

I have had my BSN now for 18 years now. I still don't know the answers. I don't care if you are a nurse's aide, LPN, or the secretary/unit clerk.....I will ask if I don't know. We are a team and we are in this together.

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It's funny they did that at my hospital with me. I am ADN RN and I was not even off probation when they asked me to be in charge along with one other BSN nurse. I was so caught off guard when they asked me. I asked her if I could think about it. When I thought about it, I realized I worked way too hard to get my license and I wasn't about to lose it over rushing through my duties so I could get some extra paper work and CNA assignments and RN assignments. I told my boss that I was flattered and that in time I would be up for the challenge. Right now my priorities are to my patients and becoming the best nurse I could be. The extra $24 a shift was not worth it to me. I help the charge nurses out when I can so when the time comes again, I will transition easily into the role. And I too thought they had lost their minds in asking me. I think I am a good nurse but I M still learning so much everyday. I think that new grads that take the role too soon are playing with fire.

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Well I guess the economy for new grads isnt so bad after all :)

True because my friends who just graduated with BSNs were all employed about 2-3 months after passing the NCLEX. It also depends where you are. I hope it's this way when I graduate.

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