Nursing Student needs help with Time Management

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Specializes in cardiac/education.

One of my biggest weaknesses is time management. I am entering Block 3 of a nursing program. I am looking for advice from experienced nursing on how you organize you day/decide what is important, what can wait/basically anything relating to time management and getting all the jobs done. For example, how do you organize yourself at the beginning of the day, what do you do first, next, etc. We will be expected to review orders, pass meds, review labs, basically everything for these FOUR patients, except call docs I believe. If we can't do all this and show competency by halfway thru the semester we will be coached. So far we have only had two patients but only had to pass meds on one!! I know four patients probably sounds like a dream to you guys so please, please, please, give me some tips. I need to get good at this before clinicals start!:no: So far, I get caught up talking with the patients and before I know it so much time has passed. I really enjoy talking with them but I guess when you become a nurse all that has to end, lol. How ironic!

Any advice, other than stop talking to the patients:lol2: , would be great!!

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Specializes in SICU.

Get a piece of paper, turn it horizontal. Write your patients down the left side. Write the hours you are working across the top. Draw lines to make blocks. Then write into the blocks things that must be done for each patient at a certain time. eg. meds at 10, v.s. at 12 etc. Make sure you have anything that you will need (meds or procedures) at least 1 hour before the time due.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

I agree...I made up a shift sheet that I still use to this day! The first sheet has the general info about the pt, and any notes I got from report. This paper will help me with reporting off at the end of the day also. I hit the kardex and write that info on that sheet as well. This is my handy dandy "pt info" sheet.

Then I get a paper and fold it, and write down each hour...as I go through the MAR's I write down next to the hour which room is going to need a med or tx. Just the room number, I have the MAR to remind me of what I need to do. Like this

0800: 534/306/

0900: 534/506/530

1000: NA

and so on...this is my main task worksheet! Top of the clipboard page for me!

Okay then after all this, and I can write really quickly now that I am use to my own sheets and what to look for...I do my shift.

The trick is that this will have to be flexible, things happen! New MD orders, probelms and so on. I rate my daily activities on importance dependant on situations. If I have a pt that has immediate MD orders or is in trouble physically at an moment, other pts are going to have to wait a while for that ice or water...or I try to get another nurse or CNA to help. Communication is very important here in order to get help for your pts while you are tied up. I always let my unit secretary or charge nurse know if I will be tied up for more than 15 minutes in a room!

Basically when I try to manage my time, I think of this...What situation must be done immediately...okay which one of those is potentially life threatening or needs to be done within 15 minutes or it can have serious results. Those rank highest. Then I can rate the other situations accordingly.

What gets tough is you have a pt in respiratory distress, for me top deal, then you have a pt in serious pain, and another that has to go to the bathroom. All need to be done quickly. Okay which is life threatening...okay the respiratory distress...I get on that and try to get someone to help with the bathroom person, and a nurse to give pain meds to the pt if they will or able. If unable...sadly I have to think of it this way...pain med person next because pain will increase without help like a snowball going downhill...and sadly (and I hate this, but typically I can get help) the potty person will have to wait because frankly...I can change a bed and bathe a person at some point...but the other two...they need more immediate care and will suffer too greatly physically if I delay. It is sad to leave someone that has to go to the bathroom...I hate it, but in a bad situation...they are last on my list in this scenero and I keep trying to get someone to help them as I am running with the other two!

So you have to think of immedate, within an hour, and later on consequences and get on it. And with practice and more understanding you will be able to determine these things.

Keeping a journal, and when you hit these situations writting down your rational and how you felt helps! You can look back on that and change your scheduling preferences! Best way to learn is from yourself!

Good luck to you!

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Specializes in PACU.

i agree with the other posters. as far as clinical experience i have only had one patient so i had plenty of time to ake for them. but, wprking as a NA on a busy tele floor helped me tremedously with time managment. i had about 14 pts of that maybe 4 were complete care. I had to do BS checks, ekgs, weights, VS, incontinece checks.

Here's what worked for me, as the other posters have said i would make up a sheet with my patients and what i needed to do for each one. when i would do my rounds i would try to do as much for the patient at that time that i needed to do, for example if they were up and i had to do vs and an ekg, i would get it done right then and there. I would also prioritze, for instance for independent patients i would take care of them first because i most likely only had to take their VS, then go to see my patients that would take up most of my time.

my work on that tele floor has helped me alot with clinicals and Im sure it will help when I am a nurse. I think the key to time managment is prioritizing and hving a plan for yourself and sticking to it, if possible.

Also, I have been told that time management is a skill, that can only be acquired with experience.

Good Luck to you!

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i know exactly what you mean, time management has been my big issue in clinicals as well! i'm working as a nurse extern on a cardiology/telemetry floor this summer and i can't tell you what a difference in my confidence and my ability this has made. for one thing, i do the sheet thing the other posters mentioned. i am a person that likes lists, so it makes sense to make lists for pts. also, on this floor each nurse gets his/her own trolley-cart thingie, on which we stack towels, soaker pads, incont. pads, jonny shirts, cups, a water pitcher, a glucometer, our kardex, straws, some gauze and tape things, etc. we also have machines that have the thermometer, bp, o2 sats all combined into one, on wheels, so one hand pushes the cart and the other pulls the vs machine. i go into the room (and i tend to start with most independent pts first) i ask them typical morning questions (how'd ya sleep, any pain, etc) check their vs, pour pills, give them fresh water, towels, gowns, and if they need a basin i grab that and set them up with it. and continue on. each time i finish doing whatever is needed for that hr for that pt, i cross it off my list. oh and we also steal the nursing flow sheets out of the pt's chart and put them in our kardex, because by the time we finish morning care the docs have all the charts! then it's basically deal with what comes up when it comes! don't worry (like i did!) - it does get easier!

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Specializes in Assisted Living Nurse Manager.
I agree...I made up a shift sheet that I still use to this day! The first sheet has the general info about the pt, and any notes I got from report. This paper will help me with reporting off at the end of the day also. I hit the kardex and write that info on that sheet as well. This is my handy dandy "pt info" sheet.

Then I get a paper and fold it, and write down each hour...as I go through the MAR's I write down next to the hour which room is going to need a med or tx. Just the room number, I have the MAR to remind me of what I need to do. Like this

0800: 534/306/

0900: 534/506/530

1000: NA

and so on...this is my main task worksheet! Top of the clipboard page for me!

Okay then after all this, and I can write really quickly now that I am use to my own sheets and what to look for...I do my shift.

The trick is that this will have to be flexible, things happen! New MD orders, probelms and so on. I rate my daily activities on importance dependant on situations. If I have a pt that has immediate MD orders or is in trouble physically at an moment, other pts are going to have to wait a while for that ice or water...or I try to get another nurse or CNA to help. Communication is very important here in order to get help for your pts while you are tied up. I always let my unit secretary or charge nurse know if I will be tied up for more than 15 minutes in a room!

Basically when I try to manage my time, I think of this...What situation must be done immediately...okay which one of those is potentially life threatening or needs to be done within 15 minutes or it can have serious results. Those rank highest. Then I can rate the other situations accordingly.

What gets tough is you have a pt in respiratory distress, for me top deal, then you have a pt in serious pain, and another that has to go to the bathroom. All need to be done quickly. Okay which is life threatening...okay the respiratory distress...I get on that and try to get someone to help with the bathroom person, and a nurse to give pain meds to the pt if they will or able. If unable...sadly I have to think of it this way...pain med person next because pain will increase without help like a snowball going downhill...and sadly (and I hate this, but typically I can get help) the potty person will have to wait because frankly...I can change a bed and bathe a person at some point...but the other two...they need more immediate care and will suffer too greatly physically if I delay. It is sad to leave someone that has to go to the bathroom...I hate it, but in a bad situation...they are last on my list in this scenero and I keep trying to get someone to help them as I am running with the other two!

So you have to think of immedate, within an hour, and later on consequences and get on it. And with practice and more understanding you will be able to determine these things.

Keeping a journal, and when you hit these situations writting down your rational and how you felt helps! You can look back on that and change your scheduling preferences! Best way to learn is from yourself!

Good luck to you!

Excellent advice TriageRN_34. I heard this same advice over and over from the more experienced nurses and they were great at managing their time:)

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Specializes in orthopaedics.

loving this post! student nurse here would love some more time management tips.

bump bump

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I am always at work 20 to 30 minutes before by shift starts. This allows me the time to make my rather detailed assignment sheet. The shift I follow love it...ensures they will get out of work on time. I also tend to get a better not so rushed report. I gather my information from the kardex, read my strips, post them, review care plans...then get report. I then proceed to see my patients before the the other shift leaves. Introduction, pain assessment, set of vitals and anything else that might be important depending on the reason the pt. is in the hospital. I can go back later and finish the head to toe....my cardiac cath pt. will get a groin check....but I can listen to bowel sounds later. I always assess the abc's first. When it comes time for my first med pass....I can complete my assessments.

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Specializes in cardiac/education.

Thank you so far for the replies. This advice is helpful!:mad:

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