CAREER PATHS
What Is the Difference Between a Charge Nurse and Nurse Manager?
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EveryNurse Staff
- Last Updated: 10/11/2022
There are over 4.2 million registered nurses in the United States, 84% of which are employed in nursing. That’s a lot of nurses! Additionally, the federal government forecasts more than 203,000 new RN positions will be created every year through the year 2031, which is a much faster growth rate than most other occupations.
To manage all of these nurses and ensure that they are providing quality care, hospitals and other healthcare facilities rely on nurses with specialized training and experience in nursing leadership. Two of the most common nursing leadership roles are charge nurses and nurse managers. But what is the difference between a charge nurse and a nurse manager?
The Role of a Charge Nurse
Charge nurses typically have more direct patient care responsibilities than nurse managers. They are responsible for providing leadership and supervision to nursing staff during their shift, ensuring that patients receive high-quality care, and that staff is following established policies and procedures. They are often registered nurses with a significant amount of clinical experience who can provide feedback and guidance to other nurses.
Charge nurses may also be responsible for delegating tasks, ensuring that staff is properly trained, and evaluating staff performance. They collaborate with the nurse manager to ensure that the unit is running smoothly, create work schedules, help admit and discharge patients, and provide direct patient care when needed.
The Role of a Nurse Manager
Nurse managers are responsible for the day-to-day operations of a nursing unit. They develop and implement policies and procedures, hire and train staff, and create schedules. Nurse managers also oversee budgeting and resource allocation for their units, serving as liaisons between nursing staff and administration.
In addition, nurse managers are responsible for quality assurance and performance improvement initiatives. They make sure that patient care meets or exceeds established standards, is in compliance with all state and federal regulations, and that required improvements are communicated to and implemented by staff. Nurse managers spend less time providing direct patient care than other nurses, often focusing on managerial and supervisory duties along with communication across various internal departments.
Key Differences Between Charge Nurses and Nurse Managers
Although they are both nurses in a position of leadership, there are key differences between charge nurses and nurse managers that make their roles unique. The first and most obvious difference is the scope of their responsibilities. Nurse managers have more responsibility for the overall operations of the unit, while charge nurses focus more on the direct care of patients.
Another key difference is that nurse managers typically have more administrative duties than charge nurses. This includes things like creating budgets and schedules, hiring and training staff, and overseeing compliance with regulations. Charge nurses may also have some administrative duties, but their primary focus is on providing direct patient care and supervising other nurses.
The final key difference is that nurse managers typically have more experience than charge nurses. Nurse managers need to have a strong understanding of both clinical and administrative aspects of nursing, while charge nurses only need to have extensive experience in direct patient care. This difference is reflected in the fact that nurse managers typically have a higher level of education than charge nurses, often holding a master’s degree in nursing.
Charge Nurse vs. Nurse Manager Salaries
The role of the charge nurse is a supervisory position, while the role of the nurse manager is a managerial position. Both fall under the scope of registered nursing and nursing administration, which is a field that offers higher salaries than other nursing positions. According to Salary.com, a Charge Nurse in the United States earns an average salary of $93,711 as of 2022, which is significantly higher than the mean annual wage for registered nurses, which is $82,750.
Nurse managers earn even higher salaries, with an average salary of $118,800 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which designates the role as a Medical and Health Services Manager. This is nearly $25,000 more than the average salary for charge nurses and $36,000 more than the average salary for registered nurses.
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