What is a charge nurse? A charge nurse is a supervising registered nurse for a nursing unit. Each unit has multiple charge RNs who work in shifts. They handle administrative and supervisory tasks, such as task delegation and scheduling, but also often continue to provide direct patient care.
A charge nurse serves as the shift supervisor for a nursing unit, generally in a hospital. They oversee nursing functions within the unit during their shift. Each unit typically has multiple charge nurses to ensure continuous coverage across shifts. If you plan to pursue a leadership role in nursing and are not yet a registered nurse (RN), you can start by earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
At Northeastern University, we make it possible for you to earn a BSN in as few as 16 months after completing prerequisite courses. Our Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program leverages your prior non-nursing education, enabling you to bypass general education requirements and dive right into the nursing curriculum. After becoming a nurse and gaining clinical experience, you may pursue a role as a charge RN for your unit.
Before starting, review the role of a charge RN, including typical charge nurse responsibilities, essential skills, and salary expectations. Then explore the steps to becoming a charge nurse.
What Is a Charge Nurse?
A charge nurse is a supervising RN who oversees unit operations during their shift. They are accountable for the unit’s functions and outcomes while providing guidance, mentorship, and support to other nurses. They are a frontline nurse leader whom other nurses rely on for guidance and support. They also serve as a liaison between management and nursing staff.
Hospitals rely on charge RNs in every nursing unit, from the intensive care unit (ICU) to orthopedics and beyond. This means you can pursue a charge RN role in a wide range of nursing specialties.
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Charge Nurse Responsibilities
A charge registered nurse has broader responsibilities than a nurse who is not in a leadership role. Charge RNs often care for one or more patients during their shift while also leading the unit, although this varies by hospital and shift.
Common charge nurse responsibilities include:
- Creating staff assignments and delegating tasks
- Dealing with admissions and discharges
- Delivering direct patient care
- Educating patients
- Ensuring their unit’s compliance with all applicable regulations, safety requirements, and hospital protocols
- Evaluating the performance of fellow nurses
- Managing paperwork and other administrative tasks
- Meeting with hospital administrators or managers
- Monitoring patients’ progress, intervening as needed
- Stepping in to provide conflict resolution between fellow nurses, patients, or family members
- Supervising other nurses and supporting them
Charge Nurse vs Nurse Manager: What’s the Difference?
Both charge nurses and nurse managers hold leadership roles in healthcare, but their responsibilities differ in important ways. A charge nurse may still provide direct patient care, while a nurse manager typically does not. Both roles involve administrative work, but nurse managers focus on managerial and operational oversight.
A charge nurse is responsible for the unit only during their shift, and each unit has multiple charge nurses to provide ongoing coverage. A nurse manager, by contrast, is responsible for the unit as a whole and may, in some settings, oversee an entire facility.
In short, a charge nurse is a unit-level leader, while a nurse manager operates at a broader management level.
Essential Skills and Traits for This Role
A charge RN needs strong leadership skills, including the ability to create a safe, supportive workplace for fellow nurses. Other essential skills include:
- Communication skills, including active listening
- Conflict resolution
- Critical thinking
- Decision-making
- Emotional intelligence, including self-regulation
- Mentorship
- Organization
- Task delegation
An effective charge RN is adaptable, empathetic, and able to think clearly under pressure. Charge RNs must also uphold high standards of integrity, professionalism, and accountability.
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Charge Nurse Salary Expectations
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for all types of RNs was $93,600 as of May 2024. A charge nurse’s salary can vary, depending on level of education, years of experience, nursing specialty, and employer.
In general, a charge nurse can expect to earn more than an RN who is not in a leadership position. Hospitals typically pay charge RNs an additional hourly rate or a percentage increase on base pay to compensate for charge nurse responsibilities. Some employers may also offer bonuses.
How to Become a Charge Nurse
If you are not yet an RN, your first step toward becoming a charge nurse is to enroll in nursing school.
1. Earn a BSN
It is possible to become an RN with a nursing diploma or an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). Some facilities, however, may require a BSN for charge RN roles. Even when it is not required, a BSN can improve your opportunities for career advancement and strengthen your position during salary negotiations.
If you have prior non-nursing education, you may meet the admission requirements for an accelerated BSN program. If you have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or at least 62 college credits, you can earn a BSN in as few as 16 months through Northeastern’s ABSN after completing prerequisite courses.
The ABSN curriculum provides an immersive experience in health management and leadership, making our program an ideal fit for future nurse leaders.
2. Obtain an RN License
After earning a BSN, the next step is to obtain RN licensure by passing the NCLEX-RN. Nurse candidates often take the exam within a few months after graduating. The NCLEX-RN is a rigorous exam that requires consistent preparation throughout your time in nursing school.
It’s often recommended that students start reviewing practice questions at the start of nursing school, then commit to full-time study after graduation during the weeks leading up to their exam date.
3. Gain Clinical Experience
Charge nurses are expected to have clinical experience. You can begin by finding a role in your chosen nursing specialty, such as pediatrics, emergency room nursing, or critical care. The amount of clinical experience an aspiring charge nurse needs varies by facility. In general, you can expect to need at least a few years of experience on the floor before stepping into a leadership role.
4. Obtain Professional Certifications
Professional certifications are not always necessary. At some facilities, an experienced nurse can move into a charge RN role by expressing interest and asking a manager about taking charge nurse shifts. Certifications can strengthen career advancement and are often worth pursuing.
Consider pursuing one or more professional certifications in your nursing specialty. Eligibility requirements vary, but it is common to need relevant experience and to pass an exam.
5. Consider Earning a Master’s Degree
A charge RN is not typically required to have a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), although the degree can provide a competitive edge. A master’s degree can also support your career growth through advanced coursework in nursing leadership. After working as a charge nurse for a while, you may decide to earn an MSN to pursue more advanced leadership roles.
Prepare for Your Nursing Career at Northeastern
Northeastern University delivers practice-focused nursing education that will prepare you to pursue a nursing leadership position after gaining clinical experience. You’ll benefit from a hybrid learning approach that includes online coursework, in-person nursing labs, and immersive clinical rotations at top healthcare facilities. Our students enjoy small class sizes, which allow for personalized attention from our experienced faculty.
Request information today to learn more about enrolling at one of our ABSN program sites in the Boston, Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; or Charlotte, North Carolina areas.