Time management as a staff nurse

[deepurple]

Been working in cardiac hospital is very busy all day long and also very tough with pediatric and adult cases. With a lot pt and management, till i went home everyday really late in the evening. Plus it was very tiring and can't revise or do short learning in the night. i need some advice from experienced nurse here in managing our time as a nurse.

[SaoirseRN]

One thing that helped me immensely was combining as many tasks as possible into a single visit to each patient.

After my report, I go quickly and look at/say hello to each patient. I tell them I'm just checking in before starting my rounds, tell them that I will be back, and ask if there is something I can bring them when I return. Obviously at times people need something urgently, but most often they can wait until I come back and this saves a few call-bell interruptions to my rounds.

I would check sugars during this "hello" round as well.

When I see each patient, I do their meds, vitals, and assessment. Everything for each person in turn. I see many who do everyone's vitals, then all the meds, then make a third trip for assessments. More visits means more time, more interruptions. I have found it much more efficient to do everything in one visit.

Yes you will still have interruptions but if you structure the start of your shift the same way each time, it's easier to return to plan once you've put out the little fires.

[Born_2BRN]

I agreed! Try to combine all tasks into one if possible per pt's visit. On our floor we have to get pt's vital sign before anything else. I take their vital, pass meds and then assessment or doing it during med pass. I found myself often make three visits that because I don't to miss anything during assessment. I think our time cut short has lots to do with short CNA staff. Often time we are interrupt with minors tasks such as coffee run. If techs are more collaborate our job should be a lot less stressful!

[deepurple]

thank you for your respond.

Thank you for sharing your ideas. It might be helpful for me. I will try my best to do it.

[chrisrn24]

One thing that helped me immensely was combining as many tasks as possible into a single visit to each patient.

I work in LTC but I agree. When I first started working, I'd go in and give a med, and then realize I needed to do an assessment. Now before I hit the floor, I read everything and see my plan and map it out on my report sheet, so then I know, "okay when I go in there I need to do A B and C" rather than doing C now and remembering about A and B later.