Charge nurse

What does it mean to be charge nurse at your job? At my hospital, it means you make out the RN and PCA schedule for the next shift and get paid an extra dollar an hour. I feel like charge nurse should entail more, but that's about it.
Quote from proud nurseWhat does it mean to be charge nurse at your job? At my hospital, it means you make out the RN and PCA schedule for the next shift and get paid an extra dollar an hour. I feel like charge nurse should entail more, but that's about it.

The charge nurse role on my unit varies from shift to shift. I work NOC shift, and definitely think it is more hassle than it is worth. The charge pay differential is less than $1. We make the schedule, assign beds, cover breaks for tele tech, do a bunch of miscellaneous checks and more all while having a full patient load of our own. On day/pm shift the charge nurse does not have patients. They have meetings, get patient updates and are supposed to help the rest of the nurses keep their head above water. They also do other stuff, but I don't work that shift so it is a mystery to me.

I work on a sub acute and the charge nurse does pretty much run the show. She goes to RCC meeting, calls the docs talks with the APRN and then at the end of the day helps the nurses in the floor wrap things up, charting etc. The charge nurse has no patients of her own but for the amount of work she does I hope the oat deferential is more than a buck!

Quote from kylee_adnsThe charge nurse role on my unit varies from shift to shift. I work NOC shift, and definitely think it is more hassle than it is worth. The charge pay differential is less than $1. We make the schedule, assign beds, cover breaks for tele tech, do a bunch of miscellaneous checks and more all while having a full patient load of our own. On day/pm shift the charge nurse does not have patients. They have meetings, get patient updates and are supposed to help the rest of the nurses keep their head above water. They also do other stuff, but I don't work that shift so it is a mystery to me.

If we don't have a patient load, which is rare, we help with admissions, discharges, blood draws, starting IVs, and other misc. When we do have patients, we assign beds to new admits, do staffing for the next day, and act as a resource for the floor.

The charge role on my unit means:Working with staffing for the next shiftMaking assignments for oncoming shiftUpdating available beds/staffing on Patient Flow ToolUpdating pt acuity and making sure the assignments reflect an "average" acuity.Make sure all RNs are on the "treatment team" in the EHR.Make sure all staff are wearing Voceras (our communication devices)Doing a narc countChecking the crash cartWorking with house supervisor to assign beds Help settle new admissionsHelp expedite dischargesCoordinate rounds with Senior ResidentOversee the aides, make sure their checklist is doneCover for and coordinate breaks and lunchesHelp nurses who need an extra set of handsBe aware of what's generally going on with all patients so can jump in wherever needed.And generally have 1-3 patients.

Making the next shift schedule, helping to facilitate/coordinate discharges and admissions, helping out where needed on the floor/floating, and (ICU) responding to code blues throughout the hospital. And no, this does not one with a raise/shift differential. I was charge on the regular floor before I moved and it was a heck of a lot more work. Getting pressure from all sides to move move move people, putting out fires, dealing with "patient satisfaction" issues that come up, shuffling beds to make room for new patients. It was a nice change from normal work flow but seriously deserves some incentive pay.

Isn't a charge nurse today basically what head nurses were in past?

No, a head nurse is now called the Unit Manager. A charge nurse works under the UM and AUM, usually one per shift.

I've been a permanent charge nurse for 5 years now. It still makes me laugh when one particular staff member argues with me (every. single. time.) about his evening assignment when he is required to stay on call. He says, "OK, sure. Whatever. You're the boss. You make the big bucks". I wish I could tell him that in reality, I only make a buck more an hour being charge. However, he makes $13 more per hour because he has to stay and work. Why IS it that charge nurses only make an additional $1/hr? There is something inherently wrong with this. Thoughts?

Charge nurse here fills out the reports(checking pt rooms, checking our OR(on L&D)), stocks the IV carts, makes sure that intubation kits are in each delivery room and that our rooms are properly set up. Checks the crash cart and fills out our reports for who is staffing that night plus our admissions/patient census.

Where I work the charge nurse doesn't take patients and is the go-to nurse for any issues that may come up. She will make a list of issues needing the Doctors attention, but not emergent ones and keeps in touch with him throughout the shift. She also does all of the orders for all of the admissions and has to know the basics of every patient on the unit. Also, she will help the other nurses with whatever they're behind on.