Jon Rodriguez

OMG I thought all facilities have Tempo, that’s the 10am meeting. Literally all nurses have to stop what they’re doing and report/discuss with case management, charge nurse, and the unit director what is pending for the patient, procedures, tests, results, and what the discharge plan is. I’ve gotten good at rushing through this in 5 minutes or so, but still it sucks to be interrupted for this. Since we have this discussion early, then charge nurse who to hit with transfers and admissions. Then they’re pushing us to discharge and/or transfer when we still don’t even know the patient. Any delay or interruption and all of a sudden we have a 6th patient before we can move the other patient.

I’m about to complete my first year as a BSN graduate and as an RN. I currently work at a PCU/Tele unit in a stroke/chest pain center. We see patients with medium to high acuity, our usual staffing ratios are 5 patients per nurse, and 3 CNAs for the unit. On a typical day I’ll get to work around 6:45am see my assignment and start checking on the patients to plan my day, then I get report. By the time we finish report it’s about 7:45, I take a few more minutes to write down vitals, labs, and meds I will be giving my patients. I pull meds and start my med pass. During my med pass I do assessments on my patients. At 10am we meet with case management to discuss discharge plans for patients. Usually by this time I would be done with meds, but lately I’ve been having to go back to finish off the last patient or so. That’s on a perfect day, there’s always the constant phone calls directed to our cells, rounding with physicians, and speaking with patients and family in the rooms. My concern is that I feel like I spend all morning actively doing something. I don’t have time to chart my patient assessments. I have to try to get my discharges out by noon while preparing for the next round of meds. And that’s also if lab doesn’t call me that they need me to draw blood on one of my patients because they can’t get a good stick, or a confused fall risk patient on anticoags is trying to get out of bed. In short, I get through the day getting tasks done, helping patients, answering calls, call bells, etc. When I least expect it it’s already change of shift. I give report, then I have to stay an extra 45-60 minutes to chart my assessments, document the days events in the emr or as nursing narratives. What's your advice on how to get my charting done sooner so I don’t have to keep staying late? Management isn’t on my case about my times, but I end up feeling exhausted every night, and then I have to do it all over again the next day. All advice is appreciated! Thank you!