What to expect as a RN Nurse Supervisor role with no nursing exp.?

Published

I was offer a job as RN Supervisor at a SKF couples of days ago? Im a new RN with no exp, beside my clinical times during school. So, I was wonder if anyone in here can tell me what's i am up against as a Supervisor at a SNF, please help! Thanks you, I'm still debating whether I should the job or not???

Here's a job description according to the department:

"The RN-Nurse Supervisor supervises nursing personnel to deliver nursing care and within the scope of practice, coordinates care delivery which will ensure that residents' needs are met in accordance with professional standards of practice through physician orders, center policies and procedures, and federal, state and local guidelines. In return for your expertise, you'll enjoy excellent training, industry-leading benefits and unlimited opportunities to learn and grow. Be a part of the team leading the nation in healthcare.

One year prior nursing experience preferred. Job Specific Details: This is a full-time 3-11 shift position. This individual will be responsible for medication administration, treatments, documentation, and supervisory responsbilities. This position is required to work every other weekend."

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I would turn it down, as you are not qualified for it. I am rather curious as to why you would be offered a position like that with no experience in the first place. Not trying to sound harsh but I am presenting to you the reality of the situation. You will be eaten alive.

Easy......she's inexperienced so she will have a hard time saying no or knowing when somethig isn't right. She's overall, less costly as new grads are cheaper. She won't ask too many questions or argue too much...........

OP I think you should reconsider...I think they are taking advantage of you.....but.....If you take the job ask who your mentor will be.....be sure you have ....find an ally and if it doesn't seem right it probably isn't.......good luck

Specializes in Med-Surg.

I was in your same boat and turned down the position. They were going to give me 2 weeks of orientation in a supervisor position with 30 patients in a LTAC facility. I declined and I knew during the interview I was going to decline. As a new grad, there was no way I was going to be able to know what to do with such a short orientation period. I knew in my heart it wasn't worth the risk. But i understand your financial situation as well. I really hope things work out for you, good luck.

Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

I would be curious how long your orientation would be. Would there be a mentor or someone you could turn too?

I currently work under a nursing supervisor who was only a nurse for 1 year, then promoted to assistant manager/charge nurse. She may have excellent managerial skills, but she lacks clinical skills. When we staff nurses are in the middle of an emergency, or need an extra hand, it sucks, but we know we can't count on her. I have been a nurse longer than her and can see sometimes she doesn't even understand the reasoning behind my nursing interventions. Scary

Specializes in Med surg, LTC, Administration.

A new grad is simply not qualified to be a supervisor. The staff will be calling you about policy, clinical help, paperwork, theft, codes, disputes between staff and patient complaints. Families will be calling you about everything, do you know company policy on how to handle even one grievance? When you have 4 admissions, are you going to be able to do two? Are you comfortable doing two admissions while being on the cart passing meds while calling staff to come in at 11pm and 7am because of call outs? Are you comfortable with SBAR? I am telling you, your every other weekend will have you on a cart because of call outs, and your training will be two days, then thrown on the floor. You will still be responsible for everyone in the facility. Both residents and staff. Are you sure you can handle this small glimpse, do you want to? I give you a month, and that is pushing it. They are setting you up for failure. School and reality are nothing alike. Not even a little. You have not been prepared for what you are about to walk into. Peace!

Specializes in ER/ICU/STICU.

Sounds fishy to me. It must be pretty bad if you are offering a supervisor position to someone with no experience. This to me is a big red flag.

Specializes in Geriatrics.

A few questions for you.

1. How did they do on thier last inspection?

2. When is the next one due?

3. Why are none of the current Nurses there looking at this job?

4. What happened to the last Supervisor?

Seriously, consider that they are looking for a scapegoat, New Grad, No Experience, Cheap Wage, sounds like a set up to me. How are you expected to maintain policy and procedure when you have no clue how it is enacted on a daily basis? I know you need the money, but is this job worth your good name and licence?

Specializes in Critical Care.

Are all RN's working in a nursing home considered "supervisors" as well as workers? I thought I read RN's in nursing homes were unable to belong to a union because of this so called "supervisor" designation, although most have no real authority, and in reality they are floor staff workers, basically charge nurses with their own assignments.

Any Rn's working in SNF, nursing home share your insight.

Specializes in tele, oncology.

I was in a similar position straight out of LPN school...brand new license, zero real-world experience, and offered a charge position over three CNAs and 60 pts in a SNF. I told them flat out that my license wasn't worth it, and there was something seriously wrong with their facility that they'd even consider hiring me for such a position. Took me a few weeks longer to find a job, but it was one I could do without putting my license in high jeopardy every shift.

No, I dont have any management experience whatsoever >.

OK, then OP, you should not take the job. I am a bold person with lots and lots of experience running everything including a doc. This prior to becoming an RN. Is it difficult to grasp the info you need to do this? No it's not difficult at all. BUT my PRIOR business experience is what allowed me to walk in off the street to do this kind of a job on the way to my RN. I had to learn a lot of industry specifics, but, then again that is what I had to do for the last 20+ years of my previous career. There is just too much information you are lacking.

I'd hate you to go down in flames just off of this one job. They will set you on fire too. Trust me they will. They are using you as an easy temporary fix. Should a problem arise, they will point the legal folks in your direction and say, "We hired her to handle this". There you are, all wild-eyed... and licensed. You are supposed to know what you can and cannot handle, and that my dear is what will drown you.

What to expect? Putting your license on the line every single day.

Other than that? You'll be in charge of the whole facility when you're there. If there are staffing issues, from holes in the schedule to CNAs arguing you are the person who will be paged.

You will be the person assessing a sick patient and making critical decisions about what needs to happen with this patient. If someone falls and you miss a subtle s/sx of a fracture and don't push to have them sent out or x-rayed, and a fracture is discovered a week or two later...you are in serious trouble.

On 3-11p you will be doing all the admissions. The floor nurse will do the hands-on stuff in the room, but you will be responsible for reconciling all the meds and writing all the orders. You'll have to convey all this information to the MD and get all the orders approved. You will probably have a lot of admits to do working on 3-11p.

The responsibility is really incredible. Maintenance is gone for the day, so if something isn't working, they'll page you. If a demented pt. goes missing, they'll page you. Someone in resp. distress, they'll page you. Pt going psychotic and beating everyone up, family member complaints (I want to see the supervisor NOW!!), needing the key to supply room, needing meds for the emergency box, anything and everything will fall to you. Your DON and all the other support staff will be gone early into your shift and you'll be it.

I think sup-ing, esp. 3-11p at a SNF requires experience, EXCELLENT assessment skills, the ability to work quickly and multi-task, and I also think the sup should be able to competently work the floor and know everything the floor nurses know too.

I would pass...

No, I dont have any management experience whatsoever >.

My advice? RUN.

+ Join the Discussion