How to write a Charge Nurse essay

How to write a Charge Nurse essay

Introduction

A charge nurse is generally responsible for all the activities in a nursing unit for a certain period. Therefore, they must have a firm foundation of clinical knowledge and skills to make appropriate decisions and develop practical interpersonal and communication skills.

Scope of responsibility towards the management of patient care in the unit

First, the charge nurse is responsible for all planning activities in the department. Before commencing nursing activities, they identify the patient care procedures and processes during the shift and the accompanying relevant resources and then make sure they are available. Second, the charge nurse coordinates all patient care activities by distributing the work equally among the available personnel, ensuring that resources are utilized equally. The division of physical resources and personnel should be so that it meets the dynamic patient needs in a unit. Third, the charge nurse continuously evaluates the outcomes of patient care during the shift. The findings are then compared against the accepted standards and used to make necessary changes, such as allocating resources (Hernandez et al., 2016). Also, they are responsible for reporting these varying patient needs to other health care staff.

Relationship with the other health care team members

In their managerial capacity, charge nurses are expected to assume leadership roles for their juniors. Therefore, they act as role models and provide the necessary mentorship to new nursing staff members and students (Hernandez et al., 2016). They provide orientation to new members, so they know what is expected of them in the unit. They also offer training for the new nursing staff under supervision. Additionally, they act as mediators in cases where patients and nursing staff members have misunderstandings (Hernandez et al., 2016). For instance, they assist other nurses in dealing with difficult patients who won’t comply with the doctor’s instructions.

Communication techniques used when addressing patients, family members, and team members

Charge nurses identify both verbal and non-verbal cues and use them to communicate with their audiences effectively. Patients communicate different needs using speech and subtle ways such as body language. It is essential for charge nurses to identify verbal and nonverbal cues to differentiate the real meanings behind a patient’s speech and actions. For example, if a patient or family member avoids eye contact, it implies that they are concealing something or are afraid to talk about it.

The charge nurse uses respectful communication, accusatory tone, and blames colleagues, especially during conflict management. It is common for conflicts to arise in the nursing unit due to insufficient resources and burnout. Pointing fingers and accusing others instead of using amicable procedures for conflict resolution is a form of ineffective communication and can lead to poor health outcomes (Hernandez et al., 2016).

Considerations used in assigning patient workload for team members

Nursing activities are executed through team effort; thus, several factors are considered before allocating a team for the patient workload. First, the charge nurse considers the individual members and their qualifications and level of experience. Also, they consider the available resources, which are divided among the teams depending on the patient’s needs. Lastly, they consider the patients’ conditions, where patients with acute conditions require more resources and personnel for nursing care than the more stable ones.

Appreciation of the role of the team leader in the overall management of patients in the unit

From my interaction with the charge nurse, I learned that one needs to have high organizational skills to be in and maintain such a position. It requires quality leadership skills to control and coordinate all activities in a nursing unit. Respectful and effective communication is significantly needed for the smooth work flow in an environment with dynamic patient needs and diverse healthcare providers.

Reference

Hernandez, G., Oreo, G., Meneses, J., & Rodolfich, L. (2016). Charge Nurse Leadership Academy: Developing Front Line Leaders.

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