With that said, although it is important to be assertive, you also need to know when to relax and joke around. 2. Studies suggest improvements in nurse turnover, staff and patient satisfaction, and clinical outcomes. If someone else is confident in what you can do, why shouldn’t you be? They all mean roughly the same thing. You need to be able to stand up and deal with difficult staff members like that. Charge nurses supervise and support a nursing staff, while also treating a limited number of patients. Part of this is showing that you value the other nurses that you work with and oversee. Your interactions with people. Let him/ her know that you are there to help but they should give you patient assignments that you are competent and comfortable to handle. As you listen to them, try to understand where they are coming from and why they might be frustrated. Charge nurses are recognized for their communication and organizational skills, as well as their ability to delegate, think critically, troubleshoot, and remain proactive. This is totally normal! Nobody is perfect, and you’re going to make mistakes. This will show that you appreciate and respect their input. Let him/ her know that you are there to help but they should give you patient assignments that you are competent and comfortable to handle. One other thing about good communication skills as a charge is that it’s one of the most important skills needed when it comes to conflict resolution in the workplace. Clearly, it is a very busy position and one that requires stamina, motivation, and the ability to multitask effectively. There’s a difference between knowing things (knowledge) and being able to apply those things and think outside the box when several different factors and circumstances are thrown at you. Being flexible will ensure that all necessary things are attended to in a timely manner. Most charge nurses you see will be a licensed registered nurse (RN), especially in a hospital setting. Please see my disclaimer. Here is a list of a few key attributes that help charge nurses succeed in this challenging role. If you want to practice good motivating techniques, reach out to your team and ask them for their advice on a certain patient. Yet, we know that many nurses assume charge nurse roles without the skills that they need to effectively lead teams. Being a charge nurse is similar, except this time, you are in charge of making the right calls when chaos happens. She is often the hardest-working person on her team and refuses to sit back and relax while her team does the grunt work. Any good nurse possesses empathy and practices it on a daily basis, not only with their patients but also with coworkers. Experts indicate that behaviors the charge nurse may use to gain trust, foster cooperation, and promote job satisfaction include fairness, consistency, support, recognizing individuals for their efforts, and checking with them during their shift. It becomes very difficult to do that if you’re not versed yourself in up to date guidelines. Being in Pursuit of Excellence & Hard Worker, 9. However, they are in charge of a lot of different things. Magnet supporters, however, have little doubt about the merits of the program and believe the benefits of Magnet far outweigh the costs. This, in turn, will help them build their confidence since they will be more willing to put themselves out there. In addition, the charge nurse takes goals for the unit, sometimes set forth by hospital management, and creates concrete, actionable steps staff nurses can take to bring these goals to fruition. As a lead nurse, you’re going to be expected to mentor and advise new grad nurses and nurses who are new hires to the facility. It’s also considered as one of the highest paying specializations with an hourly rate of $32.72 (as of March 2020). With such a great deal of responsibility, you will surely find yourself working on schedules, reviewing budgets, or reading resumes late at night every now and then. This is the person everyone goes to for answers. The charge nurse who has undergone leadership training is They need to be knowledgeable about evidence-based nursing practice. When functional nursing was introduced, there were many advantages. One way to do this is to make sure you listen to nurses when they express concerns. A good charge nurse will make the difference even if the primary nurse has to have more than 5 patients because they can help all the nurses. A charge nurse gives direction to her staff, but she also answers their questions and listens to their concerns. When you first become a charge nurse, it might be a bit overwhelming at first, but once you get the hang of things, you will be surprised at how rewarding this job can be. While the floor nurses are focused on their patients as the charge nurse, you need to see the big picture. It’s not that easy to lead that many personalities. Other quantifiable staff benefits include improved nurse education, less burnout and fewer occupational injuries (ANCC, 2017b). Until then here’s a quick rundown. Maintain a safe environment for patient care. Shortened Work WeekMost likely, working three days a week means having four days off. What are the qualities of a charge nurse? Trying to cover up mistakes in healthcare leads to bad patient outcomes. Instead, what we mean is that not taking things, including yourself, too seriously will help you be a better leader. A break down in communication can easily result in very bad patient outcomes. This article explores the hidden advantages for men in the profession, focusing on (1 … Your job caring for others and... Learning something new. Charge nurses are not the only ones that need good communication skills. We’re often hardest on ourselves, so if you give yourself some slack, your team will know what they can expect if they mess up in some small way. There’s a time and place for joking around and having fun. They often arrange schedules, direct admission and discharge, supervise the use of supplies, and delegate assignments. A study funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative found that the revenue increases achieved by obtaining Magnet status more than offset the costs of achieving it. If you found this article helpful, please take a moment to share it on your favorite social media channel. It makes the team happier because they feel involved in the decision making. Yet men in nursing earn more money than women on average, and they are overrepresented in administration and other prestigious specialties. Despite being laid off from an inpatient staff nursing position once in the late 1990’s, I … When I’m in my charge nurse role, I love it when someone else comes up with a better idea than me. It’s about your ability to deal with people in general. She doesn’t simply tell others what to do; instead, she leads by example and never shirks her duties. A charge nurse or a lead nurse is a nurse who is for lack of a better term in charge of a unit or a medical floor. They motivate staff to reach goals that align with a healthcare organization or facility's vision or mission. Most hospitals or nursing homes require a certain amount of experience before a nurse can apply to a charge nurse position. The job of a charge nurse can be compared to that of an air traffic controller because this person is in charge of keeping everything moving in the unit. Men comprise a small minority of professional nurses in the United States. Many nurses today are reluctant to take charge nurse roles. This level of trust and respect can lead to some under-the-radar benefits as well, according to Nick Angelis CRNA, MSN and author. Nursing is a notoriously unpredictable profession. Here’s also a video on improving communication skills. Communication must be clear and direct as well as being persuasive and assertive. Unlike the rest of the nurses on staff, your work problems do not remain at work when you clock out. *disclosure: this post may contain affiliate links. The successful charge nurse recognizes the difference between leading and managing: a leader works together with her team and guides them through trying times. A charge nurse needs to be a leader and be able to make tough decisions under pressure. Let me clarify this. The charge nurse must have a strong foundation of clinical knowledge and skills on which to base judgments and make decisions, organizing abilities to direct nursing tasks and operations, and interpersonal skills to facilitate communication and the work of others.