How to Become a Charge Nurse

For nurses seeking leadership positions, becoming a charge nurse can be an excellent option. Charge nurses work as registered nurses (RNs) managing other nurses at a specific unit within their hospital or healthcare facility.

If you are wondering what a charge nurse does, this guide will cover the responsibilities of the position and the settings they operate in. Additionally, you can read a step-by-step explanation on how to become a charge nurse.

Charge nurses work as leaders at their healthcare facilities. These professionals manage a specific department, which means they oversee other nurses and operations in their unit, while still providing direct care for patients.

Charge nurses carry out duties like setting schedules and delegating duties for nurses, keeping track of medicines and supplies, and tracking admissions and discharges in their departments. Additionally, they provide direct care to patients, like checking vital signs and administering medication.

You can find more detailed information about this career path and what it entails with this charge nurse guide.

The road to becoming a charge nurse differs based on everyone’s circumstances. Different states come with specific program and licensure requirements, and individuals follow their own educational pathways.

That said, the basic steps remain the same, no matter where you live. As an aspiring charge nurse, you need a nursing degree, a passing score on the NCLEX-RN, and RN licensure. Read more about how to become a charge nurse below.

Individuals can follow different educational pathways to become charge nurses. These pathways vary, depending on a person’s nursing education background and professional experience. Some people choose to build upon their associate degrees to get a BSN, and others prefer to pursue graduate degrees. The section below explores these different options.

To become a charge nurse, you can pursue two types of credentials: licensure and certification.

All nurses need licensure to legally practice. They must pass the NCLEX-RN exam, which evaluates their nursing competency, to qualify for licensure. On the other hand, nurses can choose whether or not to pursue certification. Specialty certification serves as a credential showing expertise in a certain area.

Nursing professionals can look for positions on online job boards or at career fairs. They can also look for job postings directly on employers’ websites, including hospitals, nursing care facilities, and other healthcare facilities.

According to Payscale, charge nurses earn an average annual salary of $73,648, while senior charge nurses make average annual earnings of $82,984. You can find more details about salaries for charge nurses here.

The responsibilities of a charge nurse may vary depending on the setting.

Charge nurses need RN licensure and an undergraduate degree—typically a BSN—or a master’s degree in nursing. Aspiring charge nurses also need a significant amount of work experience in the clinical area they hope to oversee, as they are often considered the experts in patient care in their units. They also need a mix of great communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills to succeed in the role. Since they both care for patients and oversee nurses in their department, charge nurses should stay prepared for different challenges every day.

While charge nurses and nurse supervisors both work in leadership positions, charge nurses still care for patients, whereas nurse supervisors typically focus on their management roles. Additionally, charge nurses are responsible for overseeing the care of all patients in their unit during a shift, while supervisors typically oversee nursing operations for a unit or multiple units throughout a traditional work week.

To become a charge nurse, you need RN licensure and a nursing degree, usually a BSN or MSN. Nursing professionals do not need certification to land a role as a charge nurse. However, certification in nursing leadership can boost employment prospects. Nursing work experience is also critical to earning the role.

Charge nurses are responsible for making sure a specific department or unit at a healthcare facility runs smoothly during a shift. They organize nurses’ schedules, delegate tasks, keep track of admissions and departures, and stay on top of the inventory for medicines and other supplies. They also care for patients, carrying out health assessments and administering medications.