#Charge nurse qualities professional

In clinical terms, being an incredibly skilled and experienced bedside nurse doesn’t necessarily mean you should or can become a charge nurse. Some people are meant to be individual or independent contributors (ICs) and are exceptionally good at what they do. Just as management isn’t for everyone, being a charge nurse isn’t either. Like being a manager, we shouldn’t necessarily think about becoming a charge nurse as simply as being a logical next step in a career ladder. It will give you insight into all of the decisions and nuances that go into making patient care assignments, difficulty in triaging and balancing admits and discharges, considerations with staffing skill-mix and patient acuity, and thus afford you an overall newfound appreciation for your fellow charge nurses. ‍ Bedside Skills of Charge NurseĪdditionally, it will make you a better bedside nurse. You’ll be interacting with a House Supervisor, escalating and coordinating to and with your Nursing Manager more directly, creating communication channels and alignment with other disciplines, and collaborating with fellow charge nurses. You have responsibility in staffing, planning and predicting census, determining appropriate acuity and patient ratios, and representing or advocating for your unit resources. Second, it exposes you to a different aspect of care delivery - from the system and administrative level. There is a different set of leadership skills or competencies that are utilized when in a charge nurse role so you’re stimulated and challenged in a different way. The rotating nature of it prevents you from maintaining a single set of responsibilities and skill set, even if your patients and their diagnoses are ever-changing. It’s an incredibly dynamic role, meaning that on any given shift or day, you may be a bedside nurse or a charge nurse. Though it’s certainly not for everyone, there are many benefits of being a charge nurse.

Hopefully, they’re always sure to check in, albeit with a smile on their face. They can assuage or de-escalate a patient or family member, help talk you through critical care moments, and often jump in to help before you even have to ask for it. They’re the ones that keep the unit humming, anticipate problems or situations before they arise, and advocate for their clinical nursing staff members and adequate resources. It’s likely that you’ve felt the impact that a great charge nurse can have on a shift.

They are often responsible for delegating nursing duties and assignments, coordinating schedules, monitoring admissions and discharges, and overseeing the supply and demand of medications and supplies. ‍ What Is a Charge Nurse?Įssentially, a charge nurse is a registered nurse leader that oversees a specific department or unit. One opportunity to do this as a clinical nurse is by becoming a charge nurse and taking up your unit's charge nurse role.

#Charge nurse qualities professional

It’s important that we continually feel challenged, stimulated, and are making progress in our professional growth. The decision to become a charge nurse is not one to take lightly.