Direct care nurse perspective
Ms. C, an experienced RN, comes onto her 12-hour shift at 7 a.m. to a typical day in the
medical center ED. All of the patient bays are filled, there are stretchers with patients lining
the hallways, and triage is backed up with patients waiting to come inside the main ED for
evaluation and treatment. When she left the ED at midnight last night, it was jam-packed
and there were admitted ED patients still awaiting a bed upstairs because the hospital was
at full capacity. When she arrives on the unit this morning, her heart sinks. She learns that
the day charge nurse called out sick and Ms. S is covering. Ms. S is an excellent ED nurse,
but she’s very difficult to work with when she’s in charge because she becomes demanding
and aggressive. Interacting with her is always a challenge that escalates when she assumes
the charge role.