Med-surg nights. I got report and it was rough. Fresh post-op with a pain issue, a confused guy pulling at everything, and a new admit coming up from the ED in 20 minutes. I didn't say a word. I was just standing there staring at my assignment sheet.
My charge walks by, looks over my shoulder, and goes "give me the admit." That's it. Didn't make it a thing, didn't make me ask, didn't make me feel weak. She already had her own patients.
Then at 4am she came back with two of those little graham cracker packs and sat with me for 5 minutes while I charted. I've worked on units where charge just sits at the desk and tells you to figure it out. This is the first place I've worked where I actually want to come back.
What's the best thing a charge nurse ever did for you? I want to steal ideas for when it's my turn in charge.
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Post replyMeanwhile my charge last week watched me get two admits back to back and asked if I'd done my hourly rounding documentation yet. Glad some of you have good ones.
Did she get to keep a lighter assignment because she's charge, or does your unit give charge full patients? Trying to figure out if this is realistic where I work.
For when it's your turn: do a quick walk-through about an hour after report and actually look at people's faces. The ones drowning usually won't say anything, just like you didn't.
Love this, but I'll say it: a charge nurse taking a full admit on top of her own assignment means the unit is understaffed. She's great. The staffing grid isn't.
My first year, I had a patient code at 0300 and I was shaking afterward. My charge walked me into the clean utility room, shut the door, and said "you have two minutes, then we go finish." She didn't hug me or give a speech, she just stood there. I still do that for new grads.
The graham crackers at 4am. That's how you know she's done nights herself and remembers what it feels like.