time managament ..sniff~

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So i am now on the start of week 6 on a really busy med/surg oncology floor. I then have 6 more week on the unit i was hired for. Well i thought i was doing really well yesterday but i ended up being stuck there till 9pm!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had 6 patient one who was a admit from pacu at like 3pm. two of my patients had heprin drips the others were a stroke patient who was a ng feed. My preceptor ended up telling me when she had them she was there till 830! But i should have done better with my time. I didnt get to document on everyone, and when i think about what i could have done diffrently i just see myself running around with meds to give, getting them ready to go for a test, i took maybe a 30-40min lunch. My hubby was so upset when i got home at 930 and asked me why i was so late.......i have no idea :crying2: I just dont know how to make this better! please help.

The problem I see is the preceptor may not be the best in time management. The preceptor should have been helping you to stay on track by guiding you. With two nurses (you and preceptor) you should have been able to get out on time (barring any unforseen problems). Time management does take time to learn, and the preceptor should have been there to guide you.

are you management? the way i looked at it was that if someone GOOD ENOUGH to be a preceptor was that late, we are talking about a unit that is understaffed/overwhelmed....

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Specializes in Psych, LTC, Acute Care.

I am a new grad on a neuro floor 7p-7a and I have 5 pt and it is super busy at night. I think you will eventually get into a rhythm that works best for you. It takes time. I find that the first day of my work week is hectic but the second day is better because you know your patients. Good Luck and hang in there. I call for assistance from other nurses all the time. Luckily I work on a floor who is always willing to help.

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Specializes in med-surg 5 years geriatrics 12 years.

Asking for help does NOT mean you are a bad nurse; rather it means that you care enough to know when you're in over your head. I have been at this for 17 years and I still ask for help. It's called teamwork and I am a major supporter of it.

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well its my last week on this floor so i think she was let me go on my own, and she does tell me have you done this? are you doing that? ectra=(

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Erin, all I can do is just send you a little support. You are ahead of me in the game. Soon I'll be posting the exact same worries as you, and I hope you will be one who gives me your sage advice. Hang in there!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, LTC, Rehab, HH.

Don't be hard on yourself. There will be days when you get out on time, and other days you won't. Things happen that you can't control with even the best time management.

You will work with some nurses who get out on time EVERY shift even when crap is hitting the fan. You will learn that those are the ones most dread following because corners are cut and they don't tell you.

How long do you get for lunch?

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lunch? lol I got about 30mins! i usually cut my lunch down to 20-30 mins just enough to take a breath and eat.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, LTC, Rehab, HH.

30 minutes is GREAT!!

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

I think 6 high acuity patients is the problem. But what do I know? You probably won't get very far trying that line of argument. So, I guess the key is that you have to prioritize the critical stuff, and don't try and do everything for your patients. I know it's terrible, feeling like all you do is run into room after room and throw pills at people, but that's what you have to do sometimes to handle that kind of patient load. It's wrong, but it's reality. Just prioritize the ABCs and forget about the holistic crap they taught you in nursing school.

Wow, do I sound cynical tonight, or what?

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