Tips for better time management?

[Johnny654]

Hello to all. I'm a VERY new nurse (just graduated in December) and I managed to get a Med-Surge job on a busy floor. (I was happy to get hired anywhere.) I'm on my second month of orientation and just switched from days to nights for training (I signed up to work nights). I'm having still learning how to navigate their computer system and I'm still learning my way around the hospital. The other staff are really nice, but I have a lot of trouble attending to the patients and then doing the large volume of charting that required. I walk much faster than any other nurse on the floor, yet I am always rushed and behind. Something odd always seems to pop up every day from a patient that seems to take an enormous amount of time to deal with. The training schedule is three days straight at night every week, with my preceptor constantly spouting advice and corrections at me and then looking surprised when I didn't remember every single sentence that came out of her mouth the first time. Can anyone give me some survival tips, please? I later found out the turnover rate on this floor is huge every year. I really want this to work out for a year or two. Thanks so much in advance.

[icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN]

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/dear-nursing-students-800621-page12.html

There is a lot of truth in this essay. Your preceptor is there to ensure that you can practice safely. It is going to take months to learn the computer skills and time management. You are right about where you should be.

[joemomma35]

It's normal for your time management to be weak. It's just part of being new. It just takes time and experience, seeing the same types of situations, anticipating problems before they arise, learning the environment and computer programs through time, etc. You'll notice yourself getting better each and every week, month, for years. Some nurses may incorrectly attribute it to problems with you as a person, but as long as you're improving and learning from their mistakes, just do your best to ignore their idiocy.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

See if there is a "work list" tab somewhere. We have an Epic version and I can do a work list my pt or by time. It helps me stay on task, especially when those unexpected things happen.

[Johnny654]

thanks so much. I notice you do ortho, that's where I'm at now. That work list tab would be very useful. I'll have to ask about that. Any other tips that save you time at work?

[Johnny654]

that's joe, I want to make a go of this.

[Johnny654]

interesting read, to be sure...

[Seaofclouds, BSN, RN]

Cluster your care whenever you can. Chart as you go throughout the shift. Are you getting the same assignment back on night 2 and 3 of your 3 night stretches? If so, try to keep track of what does and doesn't work through the night. Look at what things you can cluster and go from there. It takes time to really get the hang of things. Be patient and keep listening to what's going on around you.

[Johnny654]

edit, I meant "thanks".

[Johnny654]

thank you, that's very helpful. I thought it takes a while to get this down. But, the education manager (she is new to the floor as well) is telling me that I should get this pretty quickly and I should take on one new patient a week, all the way up to eight patients. Does this sound reasonable to you?

[littlehoneybee]

Something that helped me when I was orienting to a new unit, was to carry a small notebook where I could jot things down. I found it especially helpful for learning the computer charting system. That way, I didn't have to ask my preceptor or another nurse the same questions over and over. With so much new information coming at you, it's easy to forget things. There's no way you're going to remember everything you're being taught after hearing it only one time. By writing things in your notebook, you'll have a handy reference.

[suanna]

I don't know if your problem is time managemente or priority setting. I forund when I was very green, it helps to think in terms of "what is my priority for the next 15min?" Then I would move on to theh next 15min, anmd so an through the night. With 100 things I "should be doing" I couldn't make any progress until I set priorities for the short term and delt with them first.