Organization in Clinicals

Nursing Students General Students

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Hi,

I'm in my 2nd rotation of clinicals in a hospital and I need some organizational skills! I seem to be spending most of my time fumbling through my pockets looking for things. My Instructor keeps saying I need to pick up my speed. We are basically doing PCA duties now and I feel so scatter brained. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Anything!

Thanks,

Paige

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Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.

It may be helpful to plot out your day ahead of time. Start with those things that need to be done at the same time every day, such as vitals or meds (if you're doing med passes). Next, list the things that have to be done within a certain time frame, like baths & linen changes, and assessments. Next, write down any tests, such as radiology or labs that will be done on your patients. Mark things off as you go along, and notify the nurse as you get things done. Don't forget to make time to chart. If you're on med/surg, go ahead and plan to chart about every 4 hours, and make sure everything is documented before you leave.

This should at least get you started. Good luck!

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

Also finding supplies can also be challenging and time-consuming, so if you are scheduled to perform a dressing change at 1400, remember the 30 minute time frame, so you can change the dressing from 1330 to 1430. So, I would start gathering gauze, tape, island dressings, NS, sterile (or clean) gloves or whatever items you need starting about 1300 and put them in the client's room. Same thing with any other interventions/procedures that requires hunting down supplies.

That helps me a lot if you do it along with the above post's advice anyway.

Good luck!

Dan

;)

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

paige. . .i've spent my entire nursing career trying to always perfect my organizational skills. there is no such thing as perfection. just when i thought i had it nailed, something else came along to let me know i left something out! there is very little written on this because it's hard to put it on paper. it does start with a todo list and that i can give you a link to: http://www.ehow.com/how_3812_make-list.html and there might be some useful information on this web site: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newmn_hte.htm. in the main, what you need to do is to sit down at a quiet time and think about your clinical time, what you do, the order in which you do things and what you think you might be able to do to be a little more efficient at it. it takes a lot of reorganizing and tweaking time after time to get it to where you feel like you like the way you are doing it. i guess what i'm saying is--develop a routine. routines will never fail you and give you something to work with.

as for fumbling in my pockets, i solved that problem over the years by making my own uniform tops and putting 9-inch wide pockets on them. my hemostats, pens, alcohol wipes, tape, extra syringes, scissors, and all the other junk went in my right pocket. my flashlight (i worked nights), my "brains", and my little coin purse went in my left pocket. my watch was on a short leather fob that hung from my name tag which was clipped to my collar. everyday when i came home from work i emptied my pockets into a small plastic bin that i got at wal-mart or k-mart for a $1. i knew exactly what was in each pocket and confirmed it each day as i emptied my pockets and each night as i loaded up my pockets of my new uniform just before i went off to work. knowing what you have in your pockets is just as important. sometimes i clipped my hemostats to the edges of my collars so i could reach them quickly. i used them for all kinds of things i did with iv tubings (i was an iv therapist for many years). because my hair is l-o-n-g i usually wear it wrapped up on my head, so i often kept my pens stuck into my wrapped up hair. not only were my pens readily available for me, but docs used to grab them out of my hair as well! always carried at least two if not three pens in case one of the buggers ran off with one or i accidentally left one laying around and forgot it.

when your instructor criticizes your organization, ask for tips and pointers. don't let them get away with just criticizing you. anyone can criticize. that's easy. giving constructive advice is harder and part of their job. also, keep an eye on what you see the nurses around you doing. ask them "what's in your pockets?" this is also how you'll get organizational tips. you'll find that everyone does things just a little differently. it's all about what works for you. in 20 years, you and i can compare notes! ha! ha!

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Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.

when your instructor criticizes your organization, ask for tips and pointers. don't let them get away with just criticizing you. anyone can criticize. that's easy. giving constructive advice is harder and part of their job.

that is such great advice. and very, very true.

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Thanks you guys so much for taking the time to reply. These ideas look great and will help me alot. I feel alot better now and ready for my next clinical day!

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Specializes in Psychiatric.

Hi Paige:

I will be graduating in March and I too have had my struggles with the pockets. I agree that having a specific pocket for everything helps. I also found it helpful to wear a nurse's "tool belt" It has a loop to put your tape on, a place for scissors and hemostat. I keep my pen, my dry erase marker, my sharpie, alcohol wipes, 2x2's in it too. My PDA is in my left pocket along with my "brain sheet". Right pocket has flushes and any other supplies I need. I keep my personal stuff (money, driver license, etc in a hard to reach pants pocket because I only need it at lunch time :)

Just find a method and be consistent and you will soon have everything quickly at your fingertips. You will also have just about anything your nurse might need too and that usually makes her smile.

Best to you.

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Specializes in Telemetry.

I do things in a certain order every clinical day: (and for time frame reference we usually get on the floor at around 730)

1. Get report.

2. Check MAR for my pts to see what time I need to pass first meds

3. Check vitals on all pts

4. 9 am med pass

5. Head to toe assessment on all pts

6. Document

Usually by then its lunch time, and things don't always run that smoothly for me- inevitably things come up that need immediate attention with pts- prn pain meds, for example, or pts going down for xrays etc. But my main goal is to have all of the above list done, including documentation before lunch at 1130. If you have treatments, baths etc to do it helps to start early gathering your supplies, and finding your instructor if he/she has to go with you to do the task.

As for pockets: I keep my pen light, pens, alcohol wipes, and tape in my right pocket, chapstick, hand cream and my "brains" in my left pocket.

I'm in 4th semester (of 4) now, and its taken me until now to feel like I'm becoming even remotely organized. I really believe it just takes practice, and a bit of trial and error to start getting in a bit of a routine that works for you.

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Hi again,

I've heard a couple of you mention your "brains". Where can I get some. Ha!Ha! So far I mostly feel like a deer in headlights when my Instructor or team leader stops me in the hall to tell me to do something and I'm right in the middle of something. I have completely forgotten what they told me to do a couple of times. I've learned I need to take the time to write it down so I can say, yes I did that, next time.

What is this..."brains"? :bugeyes:

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Specializes in NICU.

when your instructor criticizes your organization, ask for tips and pointers. don't let them get away with just criticizing you. anyone can criticize. that's easy. giving constructive advice is harder and part of their job.

best advice ever. if i had had this in my head when i was on orientation as a new nurse i would have cried in the bathroom quite a bit less, methinks.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
Hi again,

I've heard a couple of you mention your "brains". Where can I get some.

What is this..."brains"? :bugeyes:

The Student Clinical Report Sheet for one patient that is at the end of every one of my posts is a link to a Word document you can open up, download and/or print out. If you can't open it up, PM me and I'll tell you how you can get a copy of it. The top part of it was taken from the "brains" or report sheet that I used as a nurse in the hospital for many years. You can see what that document look like here ([attach]5032[/attach]). "Brains" are nothing more than a sheet that organizes information about a patient that you are assigned to. I used to put ToDo lists on the back of my "brain" sheets. So, you still need to make those. A typical ToDo list might look something like this:

  • Get Report
  • Take vital signs and do assessments
  • Give 8am meds
  • Give baths
  • Chart
  • Give afternoon meds
  • Give report to offgoing shift
  • Check chart for doctor's orders before leaving
  • Finish charting

Now, yours might look totally different based on the tasks you have to do during the time you are in clinical.

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