Function & Responsibilities of a Chief Nurse

The duties and responsibilities of a chief nurse depend in part on the place of employment. Chief nurses in small medical centers may focus more on administrative duties and patient management, while those in large hospitals may primarily work in managing the nursing staff and ensuring that everybody has a set job within the structural system of the center.

Identification

• Chief nurses are always registered nurses with at least a bachelor's degree in the field. Those who get into the field with the intention of achieving administrative positions usually have a master's in health administration or a similar degree, since chief nurses are more likely to work in policy implementation than in the medical field itself.

Experience

• To obtain a position as a chief nurse, most hospitals and organizations require at least 5 years of experience in a field similar to what you are planning to work as management in. For example, those who aspire to a position as chief nurses in a hospital should understand the ins and outs of how hospitals are run and organized, so they can better implement changes and formulate new workplace regulations.

Responsibilities

• Chief nurses sometimes work in the educational field, teaching other nurses, conducting seminars or leading practice rounds. They may also assist in research and the organization of presentations and lectures. When reports are required by external agencies, chief nurses are often in charge of setting up summaries of internal performance and policy follow-up.

Overall Duties

• Chief nurses are often responsible for creating a vision of what patient care in a particular unit (or sometimes in the whole medical facility) should be like. This may include operational performance of staff and procedures, the implementation of care systems and the direct execution of patient care activities.

Potential

• In the absence of a CEO or hospital administrator, either temporarily or for longer periods of time, a chief nurse may take over staff direction, performing administrative duties, making executive decisions and assuming full responsibility over the management of the immediate expert team.