Time Management Strategies!

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I'm a new grad RN and working for the first time as a nurse in ltc. I orientated for the first time last week on the floor. The nurse I followed prepared most of her medications before starting down the hall. She labeled the med cups but she said it saves her time. She charted on things that hadn't happened yet an she said she did that because she's been on the unit and knows the residents. Like so & so never complains of pain, etc. and if they do then she just cross out what she charted before and document it. As the day went on I decided that I'm def NOT going to prepare medications for several residents at the same time. I'm too new an I don't want to make any preventable mistakes. So how do you manage your time during med passes?

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

That nurse is setting herself up for failure, to be honest. Charting like that could lead to losing their job or worst, lawsuits, if they charted that nothing happened at a particular time because they "expected it" but then a resident happens to fall and break their hip at that time or something. As for preparing medications, it's okay to prepare them by pulling them out but keeping everything in the blister packs until you're ready to give them. I pull all of the meds out of the Pyxis on my patients and put them in their respective drawers on my COW, but everything is still in their original package. Then I start my med pass.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

Please don't take on someone else's bad habits. Prepouring meds is a BAD idea. You'll get to know your residents...where they are at certain times during the med pass...how they like their meds. And charting before something happens?? The DPH or the Feds could walk in at any time and she would be in a heap of trouble for that and she should be fired.

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I'm a new grad RN and working for the first time as a nurse in ltc. I orientated for the first time last week on the floor. The nurse I followed prepared most of her medications before starting down the hall. She labeled the med cups but she said it saves her time. She charted on things that hadn't happened yet an she said she did that because she's been on the unit and knows the residents. Like so & so never complains of pain, etc. and if they do then she just cross out what she charted before and document it. As the day went on I decided that I'm def NOT going to prepare medications for several residents at the same time. I'm too new an I don't want to make any preventable mistakes. So how do you manage your time during med passes?

Charting beforehand is unprofessional, illegal, and in my opinion, immoral.

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Thanks everyone for the responses!! When I oriented today we charted the correct way (different nurse). My first med pass was painfully slow but I'm looking forward to going to work!

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Good for you. Shes setting herself up for failure. The only time i will lable a cup with preset meds is when the resident refuses them and i need to go try again. Why managers arent on to this nurse is beyond me. If they are ignoring the situation shame on them. U may want to let someone know. She definetly should not be training for sure. Hope u keep up the good safe practice and keep ur residents safe. This was common practice back in the day where we walked around with med trays with preset cups and med cards but it was changed due to multiple errors of someone grabbing the wrong med. In my opinion it saves no time to handle the meds twice

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.
Please don't take on someone else's bad habits. Prepouring meds is a BAD idea. You'll get to know your residents...where they are at certain times during the med pass...how they like their meds. And charting before something happens?? The DPH or the Feds could walk in at any time and she would be in a heap of trouble for that and she should be fired.

We do hourly rounding at my facility and we have a sheet that we are supposed to sign. Right at 7:00, the on-coming nurse comes in and signs each time slot for her entire shift. Didn't see our hospital CEO sitting in the room with the patient (HOW, I don't know! :eek:). That nurse was terminated.

Thanks everyone for the responses!! When I oriented today we charted the correct way (different nurse). My first med pass was painfully slow but I'm looking forward to going to work!

Glad to hear that! Again, don't pick up on another person's bad habits. I'm glad you had a different preceptor who showing you the right way to do things. As for the med pass, you will get better and become more efficient at it, it just takes time! :)

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I refuse to learn bad habits and I've been in long term for 8 years. I'm stubborn and want to do it right. If management gets upset because I can't finish as fast as the other nurses on a med pass, well guess what???? I'm only doing what is right and I won't back down! If only all the other nurses out there would have the same work ethic, instead of "look how good I am, I'm leaving on time" attitude,....... management, corporate, heck the whole medical field would change for the better!!

I'm not perfect, but I have strong morals, and refuse to bow down. I do give eye drops, I will take the time to get a med that's not in the med cart, I do take the time to take a BP before giving a HTN med. I will change a patient, if an aide isn't available, give them water, open their blinds, give them their TV remote, make sure they have their call light in reach. I sign out my treatments when my shift is done. I will listen for placement before a pgt pass, I will check for residual. This makes a stressful day for me, because I want to do it right, what I'd want done for a loved one of mine. I want all my patients treated like a family member is in the room or they are going to walk in at any second.

BUT after 8 years and 3 different facilities, it won't change, I've learned and it's true, unless all the nurses start doing their job correctly the way they learned in school, it won't be accepted. I've had mentors who I though just rocked! I so wanted to be like them, their time management skills, always relaxed, stress free.

Guess what? My opinion now after witnessing so much over the years with older and younger nurses is that their self-confidence and laid back work attitude is only a show because "it's just a job and a pay check".

I commend you that you want to what is right, hang in there girl, we need more nurses like you!

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