Time Management

RGN1 · Jul 24, 2008

I think your manager is being a bit unfair - time management takes a bit of experience & you're in your early days.

You need to learn the priority of your workload, write down on a "crib sheet" what needs to be done 1st & what can wait. I think it''s reasonable to ask for help from your more senior colleagues on this.

You also need to accept that you can't do everything & that nursing IS a 24/7 job. The following shift NEVER like it but if they are honest they will know they can't get EVERYYTHING done either!!

Don't be too hard on yourself, just try your best & make sure everyone knows you have done what you can to the best of your ability.

allnurses Guide · Jul 25, 2008

Tina I am so sorry you have had a horrible year, and I agree with Karen, I think your manager is being a little hard, it's all very well her saying you need to speed up but has she given you any support or advice on how to do this?

We have a professional development nurse who we ask for help our staff, and she works alongside our nurses who feel they need assistance to provide support and help in the areas that need development.

Are there particular aspects that you are struggling with on the ward as far as time management goes, I would be loath to tell any nurse to speed up as I am a strong believer that if you are rushing then thats when mistakes are going to happen, but there may be areas where you can use your time more efficiently and maybe working alongside someone for a couple of shifts would give you some ideas on how to do that.

If you don't have a development nurse who can do this maybe ask your manager if you can work alongside one of the very expereinced nurses for a couple of shifts to see how they organise their workload.

If there is anything in particular about surgery that worries you give me a shout,

TinaK · Jul 25, 2008

Thankyou Sharrie and RGN1 for replying to my email .

I had another bad day today and I tried to explain that I felt under pressure again to my boss, and she didn't shout at me or anything she went on to say that sooner or later I will be looking after more patients, and that the situation will be worse now than before and that I need to be able to sort out my time management, I am really worried whatif i never get my time management up to scratch? and that i will never be a good nurse, I feel so upset at the moment, i feel that i regretted my decision to movefrom outpatients to the ward , but i did so due to the fact that I've had verrry little experience on the ward and need some surgical experience. I really don't know what to do...

tina

allnurses Guide · Jul 25, 2008

Tina you need to sit down with your manager and ask for support, there is no point in her critisising you if she is not prepared to help support your development. It is unfair and uneccassary.

She needs to be giving you specifics and suggestions of how you can improve. Ask to meet with her for a discussion about this, and have specific questions for her such as:

Which particular areas does she think are affected, is it a particular time such as medication time, dressings, theatre prep that she thinks you struggle

Ask her what she suggests to help you improve, could you work alongside an expereinced nurse to watch what they do differently and how they use their time more effectively

Ask her what she thinks you do well and what your strong points are, if she is going to critisise then she needs to acknowldege your strong points as well and if she cannot state any then she is a poor manager.

She cannot demand you take more patients if you are struggling with what you have, it is unsafe and unfair.

Is there a professional development nurse you can go to so you can talk to someone outside your ward area to get support

Please don't sit back and take it, she is a good manager for addressing the fact she feels you have a problem but only if she is prepared to help support you develop and improve.

cariad · Jul 25, 2008

as a nurse who is being spoken to about time management, then i would look around and see how other nurses are supposedly doing better than me. i would also probably feel that the person who spoke to me probably sits in her office wondering how she can get more work out of her nurses and cutting back on her budget, but thats just cynical me,,,,,,,,

she should work alongside you and give you pointers about what more or less you should be doing, maybe you are spending time doing the work of nursing assistants and not leaving enough time for nurse's work.

RGN1 · Jul 26, 2008

I agree with both the above posts (even the cynical bits!)

It's not right just to tell a nurse she has time management issues & then not go on to give her guidance as to how to deal with them.

Have a read of this: http://www.nursingspectrum.com/StudentsCorner/StudentFeatures/TimeSide.htm

Also, although not nursing centered I have found this site to be excellent as a resource for all sorts of things:

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_HTE.htm

Keep your chin up!!

TinaK · Jul 26, 2008

Thanks for replying all of you!

My manager gave me some pointers, but she then kept bringing the conversation around to the idea that she was getting pressure from above level management and that I will need to sort my prioritization issues out because the situation will only get worse with staffing...

My old boss from the outpatients department today has now offered to let me have my old post and i am seriously thinking about taking it back, i was very happy in outpatients and my old boss is one of the most supportive people i have ever known, I don't know what to do though , I really am not the personality type to be able to work in highly pressurised environments and I feel this is what i am getting on the surgical ward even though i have only been there 4 months, ... would it make me seem like a total failure if i went back to outpatients? I have have this gut feeling i may become ill and stressed out if i stay on the ward, as this is exactly what happened to me when i worked on another ward.

tina x

nightmare, RN · Jul 26, 2008

Well if I were you I would take the old post when offered.You were happy there ,you got support.Go for it!

RGN1 · Jul 26, 2008

Yes, so would I!! I liked out patients too!!

You're not failing, they are.

allnurses Guide · Jul 26, 2008

Tina, if you have the opportunity to go somewhere where you are happy and you know that Surgical nursing is not for you then take it. If is not a failing, acute care and surger is not for everyone, we all have different needs and if everyone wanted to work in the same area then there would be staffing crisis in the other areas.

I did it the other way around many years ago, I loved critical care but took a job in a non acute area and hated it. 4 months in I knew it was not for me and I was given the chance to go back to ICU and I jumped at it. It was the best thing I did.

TinaK · Jul 26, 2008

Yes, so would I!! I liked out patients too!!
You're not failing, they are.

If I were to move to outpatients would it jeopardize my being able to work in the states or canada? My main reason for moving to the ward was to gain surgical experience that would later allow me to work overseas's but I know deep down i would me much happier working in outpatients again, my only worry is if i do go back, i can say goodbye to my chances of living in canada... ? am I right to think this?

tina