Resource/Charge

Creamsoda, ASN, RN · Mar 23, 2012

I've been a nurse for just under a year, new graduate in the ICU and was asked by my nurse manager to begin training for the role of resource nurse. Any tips/tricks to dealing with the politics as resource/charge and any things to keep in mind as I make this transition?

I dont want to come off as rude, but new grad in the ICU training to Charge/resource? I guess it might depend on what kind of ICU and how big it is, but still. Describe your unit. If its pretty basic stuff then maybe you could do it, but if not its going to be challenging. You dont know what you dont know.

wanderlust99 · Mar 24, 2012

At my first job as a nurse, a large neuro ICU/teaching hospital.........they'd routinely have new grad nurses (under 1-1.5 years experience) train as resource/charge. Kinda scary...but so short staffed you sort of had to. But, it was a neuro ICU, a bit easier than some other units.

Carrig RN · Mar 25, 2012

I guess I should give a little more backstory to this. It's a brand new 18-bed Med/Surg ICU that opened in a large teaching hospital. We get everything from sepsis to large traumas. More than 1/2 the staff began as new graduates last April and we just don't have enough experienced nurses to keep charge staffed appropriately and that's how I was asked. I do have management experience in other jobs, I'm 27 years old and nursing is a second career.

buncee · Mar 28, 2012

I just started working as a telemetry resource nurse in a mid-sized hospital. They required a minimum of 3 years ICU experience to take the job (I've worked in ICU for 5 years). I really don't mean to sound rude, but I don't think that 1 year is enough experience to run a code/ rapid response, interpret EKG rhythms, and the various other things that a resource nurse does. Even if you are a very smart nurse, it's the hands on experience that is essential to take a role like that.