Time Management

[ABM1227]

I am planning a presentation on Time management.

Because we are due to graduate in December I want to gear it more towards time management on the floor as opposed to time management with school work etc. (I mean we are in 4th semester if you haven't figured out how to manage your time with school its a little late now.)

I am really wanting to find a group activity involoving time management, I have searched for one but can't seem to find a good one. I was thinking about making up patients with different diagnoses, meds, orders etc, and having the groups try to priortize their care and organize their day. Does this sound effective or useful at all?

Does anyone know of any good time management skill activities that I could use?

Any help would be awesome, I have been stumped how to do this for a couple of weeks now, and I'm becoming frustrated.

thank you!!

[Nurse Kyles, BSN, RN]

How big is your class? How long is the presentation supposed to be? I would maybe find some different brain sheets/timelines on here and divide your class into as many groups as you have different brain sheets. (Like 5 different sheets 5 different groups) Then instead of making up your own data.. maybe search through your textbook or if you have Kaplan online & get a couple different case studies with the patient data already listed. All groups could use the same data to prioritize, but just use a different organizational sheet. Maybe then you could go around to the different groups & they could say 3 positives & 3 negatives to that organizational tool. Just the first thing I thought of. Not sure how realistic it is depending on your time constraints and amount of students.

[jjjoy, LPN]

Ugh, exercises like this bug the heck out of me! Without real world experience as a nurse on the floor, how in the heck are students supposed to have anything to contribute a presentation about managing one's time as a nurse on the floor? It's like asking a first-time skier after they've run the learner slopes (not even the green circle runs) once or twice to give a presentation on how to ski!

Half of what "time management" is in the real world can only come through experience, not just good "management": such as being able to do a focused assessment while at the same time as starting an IV, all in under a minute. Sigh!

Guess I'm in a ranty mood today...

To be helpful... I'd suggest keeping it simple... with suggestions of things like gathering all supplies ahead of time before heading into the pt room, seeing what else may be done during any particular trip to a pt room (going to hang an IV? maybe can do dressing change during same trip), assess patient as part of other activities (eg. when bathing, do skin checks)... all of which I tend to think "duh"... if one needs that spelled out to manage their time, can we trust them with sharp objects and toxic substances?

Oops... ranting again!!!