Abstract
This article explores how registered nurses (RNs) in long-term care (LTC) understand their role as charge nurses. Data are derived from 16 charge nurses employed in 8 facilities in Ontario, Canada. Qualitative methods are used to analyze audiotapings of interviews. The findings reveal a range of dimensions and subdimensions. Charge nurses experience their work as highly complex and unpredictable. Themes that captured the following dimensions of the supervisor role in LTC include (a) against all odds, getting through the day; (b) stepping in work; and (c) leading and supporting unregulated care workers. In addition, analysis within each category reveals a complex intersection between the nurses’ perceptions of the context and their consequent work strategies. The emerging demands placed on supervisors due to the growing complexity of residents, increasing government regulations, and staffing shortages have caused the role of the charge nurse to evolve with little reflection on its impact.
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