The Leader and the Charge Nurse...

Dear journal,


A great philosopher once said that leaders are not born, but made... I guess he was precise when he said this...

Being a charge nurse is quiet a challenging task. Not everyone gets the chance to be one, so it is really a big responsibility rather than a privilege. Some did not choose it, while some really craved for it. For others, it just happened like it was served for them on a silver platter.

If you are the point-person in a work place, you cannot do anything but accept the fact that whatever happens in the unit is on your shoulders all the time. Your name is on top of the list because you are expected to be the best. You are the leader, and you give what is needed. You are actually the knowledge and the skills that your staff cannot fully provide. You give commands more than any other because you live by protocols and standards. Thus, you are the standard.

Decision-making is another thing. It is a must that a charge nurse should have the skill needed to give fair and befitting judgement the first time and all the time. Staff will respect the leader only if the staff knows how credible and how reliable the leader is. With this, staff's point of view is very important, too.

I admire people who manage stressful situations well. If you can still give an aura of positivity in spite of ill things happening all around, you deserve a pandemonium like no other. You are the calm not just after the storm but during it. You do not stand at the back and push the staff to work, but rather you stay at the front and guide them with helping hands. Your staff's hands are your hands in motion.

Many things have been said about leadership and management. But I guess the most important thing of all is how effective and efficient the charge nurse can become to his staff. I despise the charge nurse who condones staff who leaves their patients and talks among themselves more than the time they spend with their patients. I detest the charge nurse who shines with negativity when he comes and leaves the unit. And above all, I loathe the charge nurse who builds walls instead of bridges.

Saying all these things does not make me the bigger person here. I am still just an outsider looking in. But come to think of it, what more will I be able to say once I get in?

Again, I write to express and nothing more... 


Remember, lightning could strike anytime...