When transitioning from a staff nurse to a charge nurse position, it is important for new charge nurses to build trust and respect within the unit. With increased responsibilities as well as co-workers to manage, it helps to have a plan and an understanding of key nurse leader skills. Here are three winning strategies to help ensure success:
- Display Confidence: When charge nurses are confident in their ability to lead, it instills trust in their teams. Confident leaders inspire teams to work together, perform to the best of their ability and provide patients with the highest quality care.
- Ignore Gossip: Leaders don’t gossip, and they don’t allow it to go on in their units, either. Gossip can have a significant impact on morale. Strong nurse leaders also ignore gossip that may be aimed at them.
- Get to Know the Team: Charge nurses can be so consumed with their new role that they forget to check in with their teams. It’s important to make time to get to know co-workers. Listening to the ideas, concerns and interests of staff members is key to a supervisor’s success.
These skills and other behaviors can be emphasized through charge nurse leadership training. Learning programs that use real examples and scenarios will help charge nurses recognize where and how they can have a positive impact.
Many healthcare organizations invest in the development of new nurse leaders to increase engagement and retention, and ultimately improve patient care.
NCharge, created by Catalyst Learning Company, offers an evidence-based curriculum that gives first level supervisory nurses the insights, interpersonal skills and business knowledge they need to more effectively manage, inspire and lead. Please contact Catalyst Learning for information on charge nurse leadership training and how to strengthen nurse leader skills within your healthcare organization.