Multitasking and Linear Thinking

[crbetts]

My first year of nursing school is over next week!

Just wanted to gloat there, but the real point of this thread is that I received my clinical evaluation today. I did really well in clinicals, and my instructor says that she thinks I'll be a good nurse, but she had some concerns over my organization and my inability to multi-task. I am very much a linear thinker. I've been told that on several different occassions on and off the job. But I am myself concerned that it's going to get in the way of my being a good nurse. A couple of times in clincals, I have put something on hold to complete a more important task, or have gotten interrupted, and forgotten or almost forgotten to go back and complete the original task. Fortunately, it's been nothing major that would have jeopardized patient safety, but I'm afraid if I don't get this under control, I'm really going to screw up someday in practice. I asked my clinical instructor for advice, and she thinks that I would so better as a nurse in a clinic where one type of patient is seen all the time, then as a general floor nurse where you see all kinds of different patients.

I'm posting this is the male thread because I'm hoping there is another guy out there that has had this problem, as it seems to be more of a masculine problem. How do you learn to multi-task? Any advice or experience would be more than welcome! Thanks!

[sslickerson]

Or you could be an ICU nurse where you might have 1 or 2 patients as opposed to 6 on med/surg. Work on it and it will come to you. I too am a nursing student but I am also a PCT on a med/surg unit and I can tell you straight away that those nurses are incredible with time management and multitasking. I'm getting pretty good at it myself. Do you work in a hospital now? Maybe something to think about.

[K.P.A.]

My first year of nursing school is over next week!

Just wanted to gloat there, but the real point of this thread is that I received my clinical evaluation today. I did really well in clinicals, and my instructor says that she thinks I'll be a good nurse, but she had some concerns over my organization and my inability to multi-task. I am very much a linear thinker. I've been told that on several different occassions on and off the job. But I am myself concerned that it's going to get in the way of my being a good nurse. A couple of times in clincals, I have put something on hold to complete a more important task, or have gotten interrupted, and forgotten or almost forgotten to go back and complete the original task. Fortunately, it's been nothing major that would have jeopardized patient safety, but I'm afraid if I don't get this under control, I'm really going to screw up someday in practice. I asked my clinical instructor for advice, and she thinks that I would so better as a nurse in a clinic where one type of patient is seen all the time, then as a general floor nurse where you see all kinds of different patients.

I'm posting this is the male thread because I'm hoping there is another guy out there that has had this problem, as it seems to be more of a masculine problem. How do you learn to multi-task? Any advice or experience would be more than welcome! Thanks!

I have the same problem re: linear.

Have you noticed that many of the working nurses have a little notebook or folded sheet of paper in their pocket?

Here's what I did with my sheet of paper.

Down the left: times.

Across the top: Patient names, room numbers, names and numbers(doc and other staff assigned to each pt), latest VS and significant labs for each pt. Oh yea, what's running for IV and access too.

Put three pts on one side of the sheet, you could add three to the other side if you get that many.

On the sheet...

Fill in meds(I didn't list, just put a time estimate for the task) and other tasks(time estimate and supplies needed, you can scratch off what's already in the room on your first round) by time and pt. Draw a single line through meds/tasks when completed AND put a check when charted. If you have to go back to a task, you'll know because it won't have a line through it!

When you do VS or BG, write it down with the time. You'll need this info for meds or doc or charge if they ask. If you're gonna be giving diuretics or other meds that need BP/HR, make a note on the schedule so you'll know to get a reasonably fresh one BEFORE you pull the meds.

Leave room for new orders, ad-hoc VS, assessment notes(**abdomen**)

I've only done this twice but it worked so well that I'm gonna do it for summer clinical too.

Last bit of advice. Get stuff done ASAP. If you can't do something because you need supplies or are waiting for med from pharmacy, knock out some other stuff. Your goal is to have everything on you sheet that needs done by meal time...done. So you have time to eat.

KPA

[crbetts]

That's good advice! I'll try that for clinicals next semester, and hopefully be able to carry that into practice. Thanks!