how to prioritize our clinical work

ornurse2001 · Mar 31, 2001

Originally posted by hala:
Hi every body
any can help me to find any references or even advice how to proiritize the work while we nurses are on duty

I can't direct you to any resources but can give you my own experience.I am not sure if you mean prioritizing patients vs. paperwork -?

The patients are always my first priority.I carry a paper with me that I have all of my patient information on and write myself notes to document from after all of my patient care is caught up.

any help?Simple concept-not sure that this was what you wanted......

Doc · Mar 31, 2001

Hala, I am not sure what kind of setting you work in. Every ward will have a different routine. I assume you already know how to prioritise tasks (ie which do you do first, the shower or the dressing?) but are having difficulty with the planning. If it is the other way around let me know.

To plan my day I write down times on a piece of paper. Then next to the times I write which special tasks I need to carry out such as medications and tests. I find that I can always remember if there's a few things to be done at 10am but don't know exactly what, so I find this useful.

Your ward/unit should also have a routine in their procedure manual or elsewhere. Ask your manager. The ward routine will help you as they are a good guide as to how to stay on top of everything during your shift.

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mustangsheba · Apr 2, 2001

Hala: The first thing I do after report is make a list of my patients medications and times to be given and if they are IV. Then I go from room to room and introduce myself and check on IV's and the general appearance of my patients and their immediate needs. Some nurses get their vitals before they do anything else. See what works best for you.

hala · Apr 9, 2001

thank you for this information if you got more in the future please contact me with many thanks

Originally posted by ornurse2001:
I can't direct you to any resources but can give you my own experience.I am not sure if you mean prioritizing patients vs. paperwork -?
The patients are always my first priority.I carry a paper with me that I have all of my patient information on and write myself notes to document from after all of my patient care is caught up.
any help?Simple concept-not sure that this was what you wanted......

hala · Apr 9, 2001

thanks for this information still if you have real examples how to prioritise tasks please let me know

Originally posted by Doc:
Hala, I am not sure what kind of setting you work in. Every ward will have a different routine. I assume you already know how to prioritise tasks (ie which do you do first, the shower or the dressing?) but are having difficulty with the planning. If it is the other way around let me know.

To plan my day I write down times on a piece of paper. Then next to the times I write which special tasks I need to carry out such as medications and tests. I find that I can always remember if there's a few things to be done at 10am but don't know exactly what, so I find this useful.

Your ward/unit should also have a routine in their procedure manual or elsewhere. Ask your manager. The ward routine will help you as they are a good guide as to how to stay on top of everything during your shift.

nurseinanutshell · Apr 9, 2001

It's true that the type of unit you work on helps determine how to organize your day. Eventually, though, everyone comes up with their own routine that works best for them. What I would suggest is to look for nurses on your unit that seem to organize their time well and make notes of what they do. Don't be afraid to ask either--most experienced nurses have been in your shoes and want to be helpful. Try out some of their strategies and then see what works for you. My own personal tip is to try and not leave all your documentation until the end of the day, if you can help it. If your facility uses a flow sheet or checklist, for example, try to quickly check things off while you're doing your initial assessment. You can then write additional nurses during the day when you have time. Just my two cents worth!