Instructor Led
Classroom
Virtual

Charge Nurse Training Program for Emerging Nurse Leaders

Overview Benefits

Curriculum FAQ

Course Updates

Empower Charge Nurses to Lead Beyond Clinical Expertise

NCharge is a charge nurse training program designed uniquely for first-level supervisory nurses on the unit to help them transition into their leadership role. For nursing teams to thrive, they need strong leadership that can manage the complex day-to-day challenges in every healthcare setting. It takes more than being a strong clinician, it requires people skills that match.

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WHY NCHARGE

Save Money,
Boost Retention

Health systems are grappling with skyrocketing costs from ongoing turnover, reaching a historical high. According to the 2025 NSI report, the average RN turnover now costs a staggering $61k per nurse. Studies show that employees vacate their position due to poor leadership from their immediate supervisor. Investing in a charge nurse training program to help nurses transition from RN to leader increases staff RN retention and reduces overall cost of turnover.

Fuel Confidence
as a Leader

Often, staff nurses are moved to the charge role without any formal leadership training, leaving them feeling unsure in their new role. With nurses moving to the charge role earlier in their career than ever before, they require leadership skill building to become well-equipped, confident leaders. Charge nurses are responsible for staff coordination, managing patient flow, and supporting nurse managers — a broad set of demands that requires deliberate leadership development, not just clinical expertise.

Connecting Generations,
Gen Z to Boomers

With a workforce as diverse as today’s, communication breakdowns and conflicts often disrupt operations. Frontline nurse leaders bear the brunt, needing advanced communication skills to tackle these challenges head-on. Communication training for charge nurses is a core component of leadership development, equipping them to bridge generational gaps, de-escalate tension, and foster a culture of open, effective communication on the unit.

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NCharge helps healthcare organizations:

  • Build nurse-leader pipeline
  • Ensure a smooth transition from peer to leader
  • Impact financial awareness and results
  • Increase nurse engagement and retention
  • Improve patient care and outcomes

Curriculum

Learning Through Real-World Scenarios

NCharge courses are designed to address the everyday challenges that charge nurses face on the hospital unit. These courses focus on essential frontline nursing leadership development and business skills, empowering charge nurses to become vital contributors to your organization’s success.

NCharge courses have been approved by the South Carolina Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Commission on Accreditation. 3.5-4 contact hours awarded per course.

1. Leadership Fundamentals for Nurse Leaders

Learning Objectives

  • Employ strategies for making a smooth transition from staff nurse to nurse leader.
  • Create an individual action plan to identify challenges and maximize opportunities faced in today’s complex hospital environment.
  • Enhance individual and unit performance by understanding the various roles of an effective nurse leader.
  • Apply best practices for successfully leading a nurse unit.
  • Analyze the role of the frontline nurse leader in promoting a quality patient experience.

2. Critical Thinking Skills for Frontline Nurse Leaders

Learning Objectives

  • Recognize how developing strong critical thinking and decision-making skills will enhance your effectiveness as a nurse leader.
  • Use a decision-making process to make informed decisions when faced with complex situations or challenges.
  • Model the essential traits of critical thinkers in your daily work.
  • Apply the critical thinking skills of observation, communication, analysis, and inference to make better decisions.

3. Leading Change in a Dynamic Climate

Learning Objectives

  • Recognize how developing strong critical thinking and decision-making skills will enhance your effectiveness as a nurse leader.
  • Use a decision-making process to make informed decisions when faced with complex situations or challenges
  • Model the essential traits of critical thinkers in your daily work.
  • Apply the critical thinking skills of observation, communication, analysis, and inference to make better decisions.

4. Supervisory Skills for Positive Outcomes

Learning Objectives

  • Explain how improved communication, conflict management, and delegation skills can reduce or prevent patient safety issues and hospital acquired adverse events.
  • Apply strategies to effectively communicate when patient safety is at risk.
  • Adapt your approach to managing conflict to best fit a specific situation.
  • Delegate tasks appropriately while maintaining accountability

5. Employee Engagement and the Patient Experience

Learning Objectives

  • Recognize key drivers of employee engagement and the patient care experience.
  • Examine the link between employee engagement and patient experience.
  • Analyze the role of the charge nurse in promoting employee engagement.
  • Assess personal proficiency in promoting employee engagement.
  • Employ recognized skills of active listening, service recovery, effective feedback and recognition to improve employee engagement and patient experience of care.

6. Facilitating Interprofessional Teams

Learning Objectives

  • Discover the variety of clinical and non-clinical team members who must collaborate to positively impact transitions of care.
  • Examine personal tendencies as a team leader and team member in order to foster positive collaboration.
  • Compare and contrast behaviors that build trust or damage trust in teams.
  • Demonstrate skilled communication and promote interprofessional teamwork by using the GRIP model.

7. Managing Multigenerational Conflict

Learning Objectives

  • Recognize the value and challenges of multiple generations working together in today’s healthcare environment.
  • Examine ones’ own attitudes regarding various generations and how this impacts team leadership.
  • Compare and contrast generational traits and the experiences that have shaped each generation.
  • Identify common challenges faced by leaders of multigenerational teams.
  • Apply a 3-step framework for communicating effectively and motivating high performance.

Keeping Learners Engaged

NCharge courses offer a variety of interactive activities, helping learners not only absorb the content but also learn from each other. Nurses engage in role-plays, real-world scenario discussions, video vignettes, and more.

Recognize Your Nurse Leaders with NCharge

An NIH study study found that when nurses feel recognized by their organization and leaders, it has a measurable, positive impact on engagement and retention. Organizations can also recognize leadership progress through the NCharge Recognition Program, which recognizes charge nurses as they complete key leadership development milestones. The NCharge Recognition Program celebrates charge nurses’ leadership achievements through four tiers:

  • Collaborative Leader
  • Strategic Leader
  • Confident Leader
  • Inspiring Leader

Train-the-Trainer Model

  • Prepare Your Educators: NCharge leverages a Train-the-Trainer (TTT) approach, equipping your educators to expertly teach the courses.
  • Interactive Training Sessions: TTT sessions are conducted in an engaging virtual webinar format by our experienced Customer Experience team.
  • Comprehensive Instructor Guides: In-depth, high quality Instructor Guides allow for rapid instructor onboarding and seamless course deployment.
Preview Instructor Guide

Increase employee retention, morale, and quality of service through professional development.

Delivery Options That Flex to Your Organization

NCharge courses are instructor-led and cohort-based. Choose the option that best fits your unique situation.
  • In-person classroom
  • Virtual classroom

Customer Stories

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HCA Healthcare (HCA) is the largest nongovernmental provider of healthcare in the United States, employing over 80,000 registered nurses in over 180 affiliated hospitals. As a system, HCA has increased its commitment to the development of nurses.
“The vision of this program reflected the HCA commitment to unparalleled leadership development at all levels. Taking learnings from previous programs and best practices from within and outside of the organization, HCA developed the Charge Nurse Leadership Certificate Program to shape the next generation of nursing leaders.”
– NURSE LEADER | VOL. 17 | ISSUE 4
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Wellstar Health System partnered with Catalyst Learning to execute NCharge, an evidence-based curriculum using an instructor-led training model.
“The charge nurse pilot training was an effective program that led to improved leadership style and resiliency.”
– THE JOURNAL OF NURSING ADMINISTRATION | VOL. 50 | ISSUE 2
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Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center is a 427-bed non-profit hospital and regional referral center, serving Athens and the 17 surrounding counties. They boast a Level II trauma center and Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and treat more than 80,000 patients each year in the emergency department.
“I see our charge nurses taking initiative and engaging at a different level throughout the hospital. The involvement and ownership at the department level and across the facility has improved as well. Two have already advanced into Clinical Manager roles.”
–Jeremiah Bame, RN
Chief Nursing Officer
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Testimonials

“I learned to research facts more and base opinions decisions on those – not opinions.”
– NCharge participant
“The leadership stories of other effective leaders were very helpful and inspiring.”
– NCharge participant

FAQs for Charge Nurse

What is a charge nurse?

A charge nurse is a registered nurse (RN) who holds a leadership osition within a healthcare facility, overseeing a specific unit or department. They are responsible for coordinating patient care, managing staff assignments, and ensuring the smooth operation of daily activities.

A charge nurse takes on various responsibilities, including: Assigning tasks and patient care responsibilities to nursing staff. Supervising nursing staff and providing guidance and support as needed. Coordinating patient admissions, discharges, and transfers. Collaborating with other healthcare professionals to ensure optimal patient outcomes. Handling administrative tasks such as scheduling, documentation, and inventory management. Serving as a liaison between nursing staff, patients, families, and other healthcare team members.
To become a charge nurse, individuals typically need to follow these steps: Earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from an accredited nursing program. Obtain a registered nurse (RN) license by passing the NCLEX-RN exam. Gain clinical experience working as a staff nurse in a healthcare setting, typically for a minimum of two to three years. Pursue additional education or certification in nursing leadership or management, such as a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree or certification as a Nurse Executive. Demonstrate strong leadership skills, clinical expertise, and the ability to effectively manage and coordinate patient care. Apply for charge nurse positions within healthcare facilities and undergo any required training or orientation programs upon selection.
Having competent and effective charge nurses is essential for the smooth operation of healthcare facilities. Charge nurses contribute to the efficient management of patient flow, staffing resources, and clinical processes, ultimately improving overall patient care outcomes. Their leadership and oversight help ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and promote a culture of safety and quality within the organization.

Hospitals often provide charge nurse training programs to prepare nurses for leadership responsibilities such as staffing coordination, conflict resolution, and patient care oversight. These programs help bridge the gap between clinical expertise and the management skills required in a supervisory role.

Some healthcare organizations support nurses in pursuing charge nurse certification or leadership credentials. Structured training programs like NCharge help prepare nurses for these responsibilities by developing the leadership, communication, and decision-making skills that certification pathways require.

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