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Being in charge is probably good for me, right? It keeps me aware of what’s going on, teaches me to delegate, helps me understand how a unit runs smoothly, and forces me to problem solve. But I think I hate it. And I’m not alone: many of my co-workers have opted out of charging my unit. Now I know why! Every night I dread going in only to find out I’m in charge (which I am most every shift I work).
I feel like charge takes away from my own patient care–because at my hospital, charge nurses need to take a patient assignment. I miss the model I’ve worked in before where the charge nurse is patient-free and can concentrate on being more of a resource to the other nurses, a critical thinker when it comes to working out unit problems, and available to doctors and management for the whole backing-up-your-fellow-nurses role. Plus at about 24 bucks for the shift, charge doesn’t pay that well as an incentive.
I know that charge “advances our skills,” but sometimes I just want to hunker down, give good one-on-one care and not worry about everyone else and the unit at large. *sigh* I’m reluctant to bail because then who would do it? That’s not the best reason, I know.
Anyone out there love charge? Advice?
Amy BozemanAmy is many things: a blogger, a nurse, a wife, a mom, a childbirth educator. She started her journey towards a career in nursing when she got pregnant with her first child. After nursing school and studying "like she has never studied before" she entered the nursing profession eager to get her feet wet. The first years provided her with much exposure to sadness, joy and other complex human emotions. She feels that blogging is a wonderful outlet and a way for nurse bloggers to further build their community. Traditionally, midwives have handed down their skill set from midwife to apprentice midwife. She believes nurses have this same opportunity: to pass from nurse to new nurse the rich traditions of this profession.