Exploring the Charge Nurse Role in the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit

The United States is experiencing a shortage of psychiatric mental health nurses as the number and complexity of individuals diagnosed and treated for mental health services increases. Psychiatric mental health nurses are equipped with the clinical and leadership skills to address this and are one of the largest providers in the inpatient psychiatric setting characterized by unpredictability, chaos, and violence. As frontline leaders, charge nurses play an essential role in overseeing safety and quality of care in complicated health care environments such as psychiatric mental health. Yet, their role in this specialty has been understudied both nationally and internationally. This study presents a thematic analysis of a series of semi-structured interviews with seven charge nurses in inpatient psychiatric units. Its results illustrate some of the characteristics that nurses in this role face. Further research is warranted on the leadership of charge nurses in these settings to fully understand their current roles and responsibilities and their influence on maintaining patient, staff, and unit safety