In a clinic, hospital, or health care facility, a charge nurse is in charge of the efficient management of a department. She is in charge of the department’s operational aspects, such as admissions and discharges, as well as directing the activities of the nurses and support staff. She is usually required to perform her regular nursing tasks in addition to her managerial responsibilities.
A charge nurse prepares work schedules, plans budgets for the nursing staff, and maintains inventories of medicines and supplies while directing the nurses and department functions. She is frequently expected to keep track of patients’ vital signs, administer medications, and notify their doctors of any unusual circumstances. Her responsibilities could also include making changes to patient care plans or arranging for specialists to consult on patient cases.
Nurses who work under the supervision of charge nurses may require instruction on how to care for new patients or those with special needs. The charge nurse is expected to be available to answer such questions on a regular basis. She is usually required to keep track of the performance of the nurses she supervises. She may also be asked to counsel a nurse if she notices a problem with the nurse’s performance.
This nurse is frequently asked to develop and implement training programs to prepare other nurses to advance to the position of charge nurse outside of her ward or department of responsibility. This usually entails obtaining input from other members of the team in order to schedule educational programs at times and locations that are most convenient for those who are expected to attend. Other charge nurses are frequently asked to assist in the educational presentation or to answer questions as part of a panel if they are available.
To be a successful charge nurse, you must have excellent communication skills. She is regularly expected to motivate and support her nursing staff, which necessitates communicating with a diverse group of people. A charge nurse is also the nurse who is most frequently contacted patients and their families to answer questions. Writing reports and assessments on patients’ conditions or nurses’ performance usually necessitates good written communication skills.
Aspiring charge nurses must first obtain a registered nurse’s license completing a bachelor’s or associate’s degree in nursing or another accredited nursing program. A few years of experience as a nurse is usually required for this position. Leadership and negotiation skills that have been demonstrated are also beneficial in obtaining a charge nurse position.