Where I'm currently working on an assignment, the Charge only calls in abnormal labs, definately does not have time to cover for breaks, and certainly doesn't check on drips or really enter patient rooms except in unusual circumstances. Charge Nurse job summary A great job description starts with a compelling summary of the position and its role within your company. Our mission is to Empower, Unite, and Advance every nurse, student, and educator. Would you expect all this if your Charge had a full patient assignment, just like you? Role of a Charge Nurse Also known as “lead” nurses or “unit supervisors,” charge nurses are frontline managers on the nursing floor. A charge nurse handles everything related to the department running smoothly but may also be involved in patient care and nursing activities. Those are really my biggest expectations, off the top of my head. He or she must also oversee how the spontaneous crises that crop up regularly are handled. Since 1997, allnurses is trusted by nurses around the globe. Kim Maryniak, RNC-NIC, BN, MSN has over 22 years staff nurse and charge nurse experience with medical/surgical, psychiatry, pediatrics, and neonatal intensive care. Yep- nursing: miracles expected every day! We were responsible for making our own Dr calls, checking and rechecking our drips (with the exceptions of insulin and heparin 2 RN's required) and doing our own IV's, labs, admissions, and so on. I expect the Charge to communicate relevent info to the appropriate staff (ie: "I just booked a new admission for you" or "I just took a call from the lab on a critical value on one of your patients"). Proposed Change The Women's Care Charge Nurse Leadership Development program was created based on a review of the limited, current literature. On my 35 bed med surg unit, the charge nurse (if she doesn't have patients) does all admissions and discharges (unless she is backed up or we have the time then we do it ourselves). Make sure your expectations about the role of the Charge Nurse is realistic and that they are based on how the facility handles that role and how they describe that role. by advocating for patients, managing unit finances, staffing, acuity levels, and conflict. What do you expect from your charge nurse? If my charge nurse does not have an assignment, then I expect her to: --Help me with my admissions, if I'm busy, --Start my IV's for me, if I don't have time or can't get it myself, --be a mentor and help me decide what to do when I'm having trouble with a situation, --make assignments that are fair and reasonable, --try to get more staff if we don't have enough. I NEVER ask anyone to call the doctor on my behalf, and it's not a policy that the charge nurse call abnomal labs at my facility. To try and make sure we have adequate staffing to care for our patients (not always possible, but please make those calls!). Novice charge nurse: A staff nurse who is promoted to a charge nurse with. Since charge nurses can work in different wards or departments, gaining experience in a particular specialty (like ICU, labor and delivery, etc.) Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele. I work as the CN occasionally and if one of my staff nurses expected me to do all that they would be disappointed pretty quickly. Charge nurses were surveyed about the unit’s safety and work environment both before and after adding a co-charge nurse. but in any case, if she wasn't giving meds she was sitting at her desk, and if things got busy on the unit do you think she went out of her way to help...NOPE! And sometimes nurses are assigned to charge duty without the experience that would make them as "all knowing" as I would like. Charge Nurse Org Level 1 Texas Tech Univ Health Sciences Ctr Org Level 7 691004 - Lamesa Smith Unit Position Description Employees in this classification are responsible for professional nursing care. Has 15 years experience. The role of a Charge nurse can differ depending on the facility you work for. Charge nurses set expectations for staff and provide support so that staff can carry out those expectations. Performance Expectations Job Specific Performance Expectations Position: Charge Nurse Departments Emergency Department Heart and Vascular Services Medical-Surgical Psychiatry Emergency Heart and Vascular Services You have high expectations. The new RN/Charge Nurse will be responsible for coordinating and controlling the multi-disciplinary activities required for patients undergoing pain procedures. Con - sider completed competencies, years of experience, culture, and emotional intelligence. Wow! I expect him/ her to integrate this info into an overall plan for delegating responsibilities and allocating staff and resources for the tasks required, with on-going adjustments as needed. Section 2 Senior Charge Nurse Review The aim of the SCN Review was to create a modern clinical leadership role to enable frontline senior charge nurses to maximise their contribution to delivering safe and effective care by developing their leadership capacity and capability. Get the latest blog posts sent directly to your email. I try to do what I listed as well as draw labs, start lines, assist the docs with procedures, follow up with ancillary departments ie lab, blood bank etc. Last week we staffed 5 nurses for 15 babies. Has 15 years experience. Emergency room charge nurses help hold the department together by providing guidance to less experienced nurses, making assignments and requesting additional staff if needed. 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