Unit Shift Managers

SmilingBluEyes · Dec 9, 2004

Help me out here----what is a unit shift manager? is that the same as charge Nurse????

All I know is, where I work, we have "charge nurses" and yes, when we charge the floor on a given shift, we take patient loads right along with the rest of the staff. Nope, as a rule our charge RN's don't have tons of time to sit idly chatting on the phone or watching tv or painting nails....

We all take our own orders, do our own charting and stock on the night shift, all our supplies/bins. Charge nurses do just as much as all the rest of the staff do where I work...yes it's true....

In addition to handling all the garbage charge RN's have to do, we do care for our own patient load and all that entails........ . all this wonderful responsibility for 2.50 an hour more!!! Needless to say, I will not volunteer for this, but my turn does come up now and again..........too much fun, not.

nursemary9, BSN, RN · Dec 9, 2004

Hi

We also have Charge Nurses on off shifts. I hate being Charge because we have so much to do!! We have a system quite like Deb's above.

A load of patients as everyone else plus the other things---make assignments & check staffing for the next shift; assigning new admissions to the staff; assigning beds to bed control; troubleshooting any unit problems; generally assissting staff if they need it, answering questions if staff has any; and just a lot of little things that may come up.

We each do our own orders and such.

we don't usually have a lot of extra time.

We get paid $1.00/hr. more for charge. I hate it & try to get out of it as much as possible!!

Mary Ann

PJMommy · Dec 9, 2004

Our charge nurses do not take patients. However, they do all the running for us (blood from blood bank, trotting off to pharmacy). They are the extra set of hands, the extra body, the extra brain ...whatever we might need. They start the IV that no one can get started. They answer call lights when the nurse is unavailable. They watch our patients so someone can get off the unit for a break. They deal with all the crap that comes up -- when we are out of syringes, or the call light is broken...whatever. When we get admissions, they put together the chart, put in orders, enter a care plan, grab supplies. They organize and ensure staffing levels are appropriate for the next shift.

I honestly never see our charge nurses just sitting around unless every nurse on the unit is sitting down because it is a slow night. Despite the fact that they don't take patients, I've still see what they do and know I wouldn't want to do it for the measly differential they receive.

RoadRunner · Dec 9, 2004

I was what you call a charge nurse for about 4 years in ICU, night shift... and didn't get too much free time!! I didn't take patients but I did everything PJMommy said they do in her hospital plus

- managing emergency admissions/discharges on the unit (26 beds)

- making sure there was enough nurses for the next shift. (Hep! That was me waking you up at six to offer you an extra-shift or overtime!)

- planning the next day admissions for elective surgeries patients.

- and of course, being on the hospital CODE team!!

I was glad to work part-time because most of the time, it was very stressful and demanding. I was very involved with helping everyone, nursing shortage being what it is... So, I had no problem sitting and chating on the not-very-often less busy days... Let me repeat not-very-often... :rolleyes:

SmilingBluEyes · Dec 9, 2004

So OP what gives at YOUR place? I am curious as to details....

LPN1974, LPN · Dec 9, 2004

I worked in a nursing home for 2 years, part time, and the unit manager who was the last one before I quit, didn't do much of anything that I saw. She was good at running around telling me not to forget to do my I & O's and to flush my tubes, then going out to the patio to smoke 50 eleven times a day.

She was one of the reasons I quit.