ATTN: med/surg and other high acuity areas. How do you organize your day?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

I'm a student. I've been on this board for about two months, and I find little tidbits of info buried into replies for other topics. However, I haven't seen a topic devoted to organization.

One thing I've seen over and over is that new grads don't know how to organize their time. I'm going to be doing a med/surg clinical in two weeks. While I know I will have a safety net during my learning, I would love to hear from experienced nurses what they do as soon as they walk on the floor and their rationales for that type of organization.

Thank you in advance for sharing your organization skills/tips with me and other students/new grads who read this. :heartbeat

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Specializes in ICU, MedSurg, Medical Telemetry.

sticky notes. I take my sheet of info on my patients and then put a sticky note on top of it, only writing on the sticky note those things that I need to worry about that shift -- tasks that need to be done (and the times they need to be done by), things that need to be monitored. I am sticky note QUEEN. I get teased a little bit about my stickies (they're bright and colorful and rather noticeable), but they help me get the job done in an organized manner. Most importantly, they make feel like I'm in control of my day b/c I can see all the important tasks for each pt laid out before me.

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Specializes in Med-Surg; Telemetry; School Nurse pk-8.

Here is a copy of "the brain" I use for 5 patients. I typically take report, and make notes & pertinent labs on the back of the brain, and use the front for my own assessment. I also have a time management flow sheet that I made up for the evening shift. Our education department had one for days, but many new nurses had found the evening shift to be a completely different experience due to the patient flow on this shift. I've included both. You will find that over your career you will steal bits and pieces of many nurses styles in finding your own. Best wishes!!

ReportSheet[1].doc

time management.doc

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Specializes in burn unit, ER, ICU-CCU, Education, LTC.

When I worked the floor, I constantly prioritized and planned three or four tasks ahead, continuously. It is an acquired skill that they don't teach you in school. Waitresses can also do this. I was a waitress before I was a nurse. Other waitresses taught me how to do this. They called it "saving your feet."

I don't mean to take away from the education that nurses have. But organizing is a skill unto itself. :nurse:

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
I don't mean to take away from the education that nurses have. But organizing is a skill unto itself. :nurse:

Oh, it definitely is. Doesn't matter what field you are in, but in nursing, it seems to take on a critical importance.

@MinnieMom RN...just downloaded your cheat sheets. Thank you!

Thank you so much for your replies thus far. Hope to get more.

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Specializes in burn unit, ER, ICU-CCU, Education, LTC.

MinnieMomRN, Really cool report sheet. I don't think the time management doc is flexible enough. But it could be used as a guide.

I used my own method for v.s., signs and symptoms, etc. that worked well for me. Thanks for sharing. I would probably have used some of your ideas when I was working.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
MinnieMomRN, Really cool report sheet. I don't think the time management doc is flexible enough. But it could be used as a guide.

I do definitely see it as a guide. You never know when things are going to blow up!

I used my own method for v.s., signs and symptoms, etc. that worked well for me.

What was your method?

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Specializes in Med-Surg; Telemetry; School Nurse pk-8.
MinnieMomRN, Really cool report sheet. I don't think the time management doc is flexible enough. But it could be used as a guide.

I used my own method for v.s., signs and symptoms, etc. that worked well for me. Thanks for sharing. I would probably have used some of your ideas when I was working.

Yeah, the time management sheet is just a guide. As we know, nursing never goes according to plan! :lol2:

The time-management guideline is used to allow the nurse to "own" their time, per-se. New nurses tend to let every event or patient need dictate their time management, and thus often are staying late after shift to do things like complete documentation. Having a guideline is more of a security to say "yeah, I will get to xyz, but now is the time I have prioritized to get abc done". Of course, certain needs will trump your pre-set priorities, but there comes a power in saying, Yes, Mrs. Jones wants to be ambulated NOW, but I will do that in 15 minutes. Now is the time I have set aside to check my labs". Experienced nurses prioritize and repriorize thoughout the shift, but that is a learned behavior over time.

This is a great thread! I can't wait to see what others post that I can steal ;)

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Thanks for asking the question OP and for those who answered.

I am a student nurse and I have been looking for an answer to the same question. The tips and the docs are great!

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