Useless "charge" nurse

[MEDICJOHN]

I work on Med Surg for the moment and my floor has all the physch and drug addicts. Needless to say, very hard to deal with. I have a "charge" nurse who loves to remind everyone that he is in fact the charge nurse. However, when things get crazy and we are all running around trying to get stuff done, or trying to finish up w/ our patients to prepare for shift change, he's there, reading, cruising the net, answering the call lights and yelling over his shoulder for whomever has the pt. "bed 2 needs pain meds" etc. And returns to his browsing!!!! I swear to Christ I'm gonna lose my mind over this!!!!! Would you not feel guilty for acting like that? As a team leader, why would one not want to help the team?

[DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN]

I've seen this situation again and again in the UK, which is why I prefer the system here in France where there is no nurse in charge.

Each nurse takes on the responsibility for their own group of patients and sees to the total co-ordination of things, liaising with docs, families, social workers etc. There are nurse managers who see to things like staffing rotas, ordering supplies, hiring and firing etc. but they are essentially administrative and non-clinical, hence you just don't get this "charge nurse" on the floor doing nothing. All nurses on the floor are equal. If you're on the floor, you take your share of the patients and you work, and you help each other out where necessary.

Yes, of course you can get some nurses less willing to help colleagues in difficulity - laziness exists everywhere sadly. But no floor nurse can avoid patient care with the "nurse in charge" scam. I thought it was strange to have no nurse in charge when I first arrived from the UK, but now I'm used to it and frankly, I think it works better.

[eslvn]

I understand how frustrating this is. There are a few charge nurses whose number one priority it to take thier breaks, and many of them, while I am lucky to get a lunch break. And then she tries to push her work off on me, its crap. I dont work with her enough to complain though.

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

I've seen this situation again and again in the UK, which is why I prefer the system here in France where there is no nurse in charge.

Each nurse takes on the responsibility for their own group of patients and sees to the total co-ordination of things, liaising with docs, families, social workers etc. There are nurse managers who see to things like staffing rotas, ordering supplies, hiring and firing etc. but they are essentially administrative and non-clinical, hence you just don't get this "charge nurse" on the floor doing nothing. All nurses on the floor are equal. If you're on the floor, you take your share of the patients and you work, and you help each other out where necessary.

Yes, of course you can get some nurses less willing to help colleagues in difficulity - laziness exists everywhere sadly. But no floor nurse can avoid patient care with the "nurse in charge" scam. I thought it was strange to have no nurse in charge when I first arrived from the UK, but now I'm used to it and frankly, I think it works better.

Please don't lump all charge nurses in the same pot..:) I worked as the only RN for 27 acute med-surg/ortho beds....I had 3-4 LVNs who did direct care. I did all RN assessments, doc calls, emergency management, report, chart checks, orders, etc. I also answered lights, helped turn, helped ambulate, did admissions, pronounced deaths, etc.... being in charge isn't a 'scam'....not for everybody :)

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

If you have to TELL everyone you are in charge - you aren't really in charge.

He's a putz.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

I am blessed to have the best charge nurses around. They truly pick up the slack when they notice we are all going crazy. I have had times I was ripping my hair out while simultaneously beating my head against a wall when an admit came. Charge nurse saw this and said they would cover the admit database and I could go from there. Truly a life saver! I really wish everyone could have the best ones like i do

[eagle78]

Just walk up to him and say "wow a mannequin, looks so life like".....

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

Please don't lump all charge nurses in the same pot..:) I worked as the only RN for 27 acute med-surg/ortho beds....I had 3-4 LVNs who did direct care. I did all RN assessments, doc calls, emergency management, report, chart checks, orders, etc. I also answered lights, helped turn, helped ambulate, did admissions, pronounced deaths, etc.... being in charge isn't a 'scam'....not for everybody :)

Yes, don't put me in that particular pot either. I work as a FT charge nurse and work harder than anyone on my floor. I do all the admits, discharges, and education and relieve for lunch. I start at 7 and don't even eat until everyone has eaten unless they choose to go really late. If they are losing pt's through d/c, I'm obviously am being slammed. If lights are going off and they are doing nothing, then I do tell them to go answer lights, because I'M TOO BUSY...

Heck, I don't even check my work email if I have a millisecond to do so. I figure if I have time to do that, I have time to help on the floor.

My favorite time of the day is to have all the pt's done and ER quiet. I can concentrate on the nurses and patients and go bond with everyone and help out.

So, to be lumped with the lazy ones is a true insult.

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

Just walk up to him and say "wow a mannequin, looks so life like".....

OOhhhhhh THAT is gooooodddd !!!!:yeah:

[Do-over, ASN, RN]

I am glad to work with some good CNs. We do our own admissions though, it would be nice if the CNs did, but on nights they often have an assignment too. If not though, they are great to help out with admits.

[DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN]

Please don't lump all charge nurses in the same pot.

No, I wasn't meaning to and I certainly don't suggest all charge nurses are like this. I too was a charge nurse in the UK and I hope I did my fair share of the work. When I use the word "scam" what I mean is that being the nurse in charge in many systems does give people the opportunity to choose to do very little if they please - and some abuse this. I personally prefer the French system where this opportunity isn't even there due the different structure and organisation.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

I am blessed to have the best charge nurses around. They truly pick up the slack when they notice we are all going crazy. I have had times I was ripping my hair out while simultaneously beating my head against a wall when an admit came. Charge nurse saw this and said they would cover the admit database and I could go from there. Truly a life saver! I really wish everyone could have the best ones like i do

That must have been difficult. lol

[eagle78]

OOhhhhhh THAT is gooooodddd !!!!:yeah:

:thankya::thankya::thankya: