Handing Heavy Workload

nikkole318 · Sep 19, 2012

Hi Everyone -

I am a new nurse who is having trouble managing a heavy workload. I get 5-6 patients on a busy, high-turnover, med surg/tele floor and don't know how I am going to keep doing it. I am still with a preceptor and even with only 3-4 patients, I feel that I am barely hanging on. I have tried organizing my day, making checklists, and prioritizing, but its not working. I am looking for advice on how to organize my day and manage my workload without missing important steps. I would love to hear about your short cuts you use to make yourself more efficient. Just some background info: my job has MAK, Pyxis, and an electronic database. We still have paper charts and Kardexes and we use paper charting for our observation patients only. I work 12 hour shifts (7A to 7P or 7P to 7A). How do you make sure you have done everything you need to do without wasting time? I get so stressed at work because I am usually drowning! I fear what is going to happen when I am no longer on orientation!