Help with team leader assignment?

[southernatheart]

Got my first assignment today in a LTC facility. Myself and another student are over 24 pts and 6 students collectively. Our responsibility to get rept from the nurse and pass that on to the students based on the assignments we decide to make. In researching our pts today, we only have 4 pts with wounds and that's pretty much it for treatments..but EVERYONE has at LEAST 10 meds for the first am med pass. Any tips on how to get organized, what to pass on to our students and how to GET THROUGH this???

thanks in advance

kathy, the stressed

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Your first responsibility is to make sure that the medications and treatments get done. I would start out by making a grid with the times across the top and the patient names or team member names down the side. Make check marks in the boxes for the times when meds or treatments are going to need to be done. This will help you organize when things are going to need to be done. Medications are a priority. Certain treatments may also be a priority as well. So, this timing may be important.

Once you organize a list like this you will probably want to divide the work evenly among you so one person isn't carrying a bigger load than another. Patients whose medication has to be crushed is going to take longer to administer as well. Some dressings may be much more complex and take longer than others. You may not know that until after your first day. You also need to take into consideration that there will also be charting that has to be done.

I would also remind everyone that they are working as a team. No one should be going on a break until they have checked with the team leader and the other members to make sure someone isn't drowning in work and needs help.