Charge Nurse vs. Nurse Manager

A charge nurse provides patient care and also has administrative responsibilities, while a nurse manager focuses more on administrative duties. A charge nurse is a registered nurse who oversees a department of nurses. They require clinical and managerial skills to care for patients while also providing guidance and leadership to other nurses who are working with patients. This can be a static, full-time position in some health care facilities, or it may rotate among nurses by shift.

How long does it take to become a Registered Nurse Charge Nurse?

It takes 5 years of professional experience to become a registered nurse charge nurse. That is the time it takes to learn specific registered nurse charge nurse skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 8 to 10 years years to become a registered nurse charge nurse.

How To Become A Registered Nurse Charge Nurse: What It Is and Career Path

What is a registered nurse charge nurse and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Lisa Rebeschi Ph.D.,

Kim Raines

The registered charge nurse is responsible for overseeing the Nurse sequence of operations in a specific sector or field and making sure all patients receive the appropriate treatment that they require.

As a registered charge nurse, you can allot duties, prepare schedules, observe patients, and admit and discharging them. In addition, you must sustain an effective line of interaction and cooperation between Nurses, physicians, and many other employees since the situation in a hospital may get unstable sometimes. You are also to carry out an assessment, mete out a prescription, and monitor crucial signs and oxygen saturation.

To be suited for the role of a registered charge nurse, you must have at least a bachelor's degree, but an associate degree is usually preferred. You have to exhibit outstanding leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills. You should also be able to handle pressure and work shifts. A registered charge nurse earns an average of $63,422 per year or $30.49 per year.

What general advice would you give to a registered nurse charge nurse?

Lisa Rebeschi Ph.D.

Associate Dean of the School of Nursing Professor of Nursing, Quinnipiac University

One of the suggestions for new graduates is the importance of self-care. We have long known of the demanding nature of the nursing practice. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the nursing role's critical importance and the unique contributions made by nursing professionals. As the healthcare environment is extremely complex and challenging, nurses must remember to advocate for themselves and prioritize self-care.

ScoreRegistered Nurse Charge NurseUS Average

Salary

5.6

Avg. Salary $71,342

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%

Asian 8.89%

Black or African American 11.67%

Hispanic or Latino 9.24%

Unknown 4.28%

White 65.49%

Gender

female 87.94%

male 12.06%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.1

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a registered nurse charge nurse

Explore registered nurse charge nurse education requirements

Most common registered nurse charge nurse degrees

Associate

51.3 %

Bachelor's

37.3 %

Master's

5.0 %

Start to develop specific registered nurse charge nurse skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	23.81%
BLS	7.87%
CPR	6.91%
Acls	4.47%
Direct Patient Care	3.93%

Complete relevant registered nurse charge nurse training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New registered nurses charge nurses learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a registered nurse charge nurse based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real registered nurse charge nurse resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed registered nurse charge nurse usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed registered nurse charge nurse in most of states. 43 states require registered nurses charge nurses to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Alabama	Degree required	State exam required	Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
Alaska	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Nurse, Licensed Practical
Arkansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
California	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Licensed Vocational Nurse
Colorado	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Licensed Practical Nurse

Gain additional registered nurse charge nurse certifications

Registered nurse charge nurse certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific registered nurse charge nurse certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for registered nurses charge nurses include Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

More About Certifications

Research registered nurse charge nurse duties and responsibilities

Manage intravenous therapy via peripheral and central catheters; antibiotic, TPN/lipid, constant cardiac medication infusion and fluid administration.
Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
Assess and carefully monitor medically diverse patients who require telemetry and safely administer medications.
Collaborate with ICU team to provide excellent patient care utilizing critical thinking skills and evidence-base practice.

Prepare your registered nurse charge nurse resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your registered nurse charge nurse resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a registered nurse charge nurse resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable registered nurse charge nurse resume templates

Build a professional registered nurse charge nurse resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your registered nurse charge nurse resume.

Apply for registered nurse charge nurse jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a registered nurse charge nurse job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average registered nurse charge nurse salary

The average registered nurse charge nurse salary in the United States is $71,342 per year or $34 per hour. Registered nurse charge nurse salaries range between $46,000 and $110,000 per year.

Average registered nurse charge nurse salary

$71,342 Yearly

$34.30 hourly

How do registered nurses charge nurses rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Registered nurse charge nurse reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2022

Pros

How employers and our patients or clients appreciate what we do for them

Cons

What is there not to like? It's such a rewarding job!

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2021

Pros

Caring for patients

Cons

Staffing ratios, unfairness, constant expectations. Healthcare is a business but doesn’t treat nurses like business employees

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros

helping people and saving lives

Cons

the pay is not good not enough for the lifestyle I would like to live

What is a registered nurse charge nurse and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a registered nurse charge nurse?

Registered nurse charge nurse career paths

Key steps to become a registered nurse charge nurse

Explore registered nurse charge nurse education requirements

Most common registered nurse charge nurse degrees

Start to develop specific registered nurse charge nurse skills

Complete relevant registered nurse charge nurse training and internships

Obtain the necessary licensing

Gain additional registered nurse charge nurse certifications

Research registered nurse charge nurse duties and responsibilities

Prepare your registered nurse charge nurse resume

Choose from 10+ customizable registered nurse charge nurse resume templates

Apply for registered nurse charge nurse jobs

How did you land your first registered nurse charge nurse job

Average registered nurse charge nurse salary

How do registered nurses charge nurses rate their job?

Registered nurse charge nurse reviews

Registered nurse charge nurse FAQs

Charge Nurse vs. Nurse Manager

How long does it take to become a Registered Nurse Charge Nurse?

Search for registered nurse charge nurse jobs

Registered nurse charge nurse jobs by state