Why are some RNs rarely busy, while others are always busy

Published

Is the RN who is not busy all the time a better nurse, more organized, and efficient? Or is the busy RN the better nurse? I've seen RNs who are never busy, but others nurses say they are horrible nurses.

Specializes in cardiac/education.

On the floor I was always busy, always drowning, from the moment I stepped onto the floor until the minute I clocked out. But I cared. A LOT. Probably too much. I just marveled at the other nurses who would sit and chit chat, always wondering what I was doing wrong. Never really figured it out before I left.

5
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ICU.

I typically combed through the patient's chart to make sure everything that could be done, was done and clustered since I worked night shift. Clustering tends to result in a nurse zooming around for hours at a time before having a good chunk of downtime. We also had a lot of slackers on our day shift, especially when it came to wound care which can be quite time consuming when you have 5-6 patients. Some aides refuse to help certain nurses so that also results in them taking on a higher workload and thus, seeming busier.

From my experience, the nurses that didn't seem busy weren't half as busy as they thought they were. They just called it "good time management."

3
Up Vote Up Vote ×

Some places of work allow certain nurses to be lazy and push their unfinished work onto others.

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×
16 minutes ago, Workitinurfava said:

Some places of work allow certain nurses to be lazy and push their unfinished work onto others.

I worked in these places.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuro.

Some people are just freakishly (in an enviable way) efficient & as cool as a cucumber moving from one task to the next. My preceptor was one of those people.

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology, OCN.

I can be either one depending on my assignment that day, usually I’m in between, I’m occupied most of my shift but not overwhelmed. On days that my assignment ends up being easy and I have lots of free time I spend that time asking coworkers if I can help them with anything. Plus whatever healthstream crap I’m supposed to do. Things have to go really crazy for me to end up staying really late catching up on charting. It happens but not on the regular and my coworkers are great and help out if they can.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in retired LTC.

Quota - sounds like a great group to work with and mesh with so well as you all seem to do. Envy of many not so fortunate.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×

In my experience,I had my fair share of “toxic days” but had also “breathers” in my workload.It depends on the patient I’m assigned and procedures they have ,meds, after care or things that needs urgent intervention if untoward assessment was noted.

But nurses are busy all the time even if one have a light workload. We find things to do, maybe catch with up with the clinical notes, more time for patient communication, help a colleague, complete a Long time online learning, answer some phone calls and bells. A lot to do in between.Nurses are all around. But some they are OK not being busy which is fine as long as there’s nothing to do.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×

I used to work with a nurse on Child/Adol Psych who always seemed busy. My shift started at 1845, so I assessed all my patients (10-12 pts per shift, ages 6-17 years old), gave meds, monitored snack and hygiene time, spoke with parents and CPS, received new admits, etc. We did paper charting: each assessment is 5 pages, plus a narrative note on each patient. We also reconciled our paper MARs every night. I was always finished with my work and ready to report off at 0645. I had time for a leisurely lunch and to converse casually with my co workers overnight.

My colleague, on the other hand, started her shift at 2300 (after the kids were sleeping). She had no assessments, no med passes, no phone calls with families, very rare admissions. Her tasks were to count meds with me (about 4 minutes each night), reconcile MARs for her patients (6-8 pts because she refused full loads, and sleeping) and to document their sleep hours (which were calculated and given to her by our tech. This lady was constantly frazzled, super busy in the nurses' station, and never ready to report off in the morning because her documentation wasn't done. We gave report one at a time and no one could leave until everyone was done. We frequently wouldn't clock out until after 8 am. It was ridiculous.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×

There's a large degree of individual personality to consider here. I work with some nurses that just seem to NEED to feel stressed to accomplish anything. It's like it helps them focus, and if they don't have a stressful situation, they'll pretty much just create it or imagine it. You could give them an assignment of friendly walkie-talkies with no meds and they'd find something to stress out about. "Oh no, the doctor ordered a CT at 11! It's 8 o'clock and I have to chart a dressing change! Why do I always get the worst assignment?!?!" These nurses often like everyone to know about it too, and they usually have the misperception that if you don't appear as stressed as they are then you are either being lazy or must have a much easier assignment. Also, I've found that these nurses will often reject help when you offer it, as though they want to maintain their stress level (although I doubt that's the conscious intention).

Others just don't wear their stress on their sleeve, like myself. If you see me stressed then you know there's really a lot going on. I do feel like I've done the job long enough to be very efficient and good at what I do, but more so I just don't get overwhelmed very easily.

Nurses that are always behind and always stressed aren't actually given harder assignments, nor are they worse nurses, they just wear their stress differently.

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Dialysis.
3 hours ago, DAL2010 said:

I used to work with a nurse on Child/Adol Psych who always seemed busy. My shift started at 1845, so I assessed all my patients (10-12 pts per shift, ages 6-17 years old), gave meds, monitored snack and hygiene time, spoke with parents and CPS, received new admits, etc. We did paper charting: each assessment is 5 pages, plus a narrative note on each patient. We also reconciled our paper MARs every night. I was always finished with my work and ready to report off at 0645. I had time for a leisurely lunch and to converse casually with my co workers overnight.

My colleague, on the other hand, started her shift at 2300 (after the kids were sleeping). She had no assessments, no med passes, no phone calls with families, very rare admissions. Her tasks were to count meds with me (about 4 minutes each night), reconcile MARs for her patients (6-8 pts because she refused full loads, and sleeping) and to document their sleep hours (which were calculated and given to her by our tech. This lady was constantly frazzled, super busy in the nurses' station, and never ready to report off in the morning because her documentation wasn't done. We gave report one at a time and no one could leave until everyone was done. We frequently wouldn't clock out until after 8 am. It was ridiculous.

I think she came to Indiana once, as well, and was working in the same LTC as me. Or maybe it was her sister :roflmao:

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg.

I'm always the busy one. I start out super organized but it's not long before that goes by the wayside. I seem to be a poop magnet. Last time I worked I got a patient back from dialysis, an ER admission and a patient from PACU within 10 minutes of each other and the poop hit the fan. Also did four discharges.

I don't know how the nurses that breeze through the day do it every single day. I have my days when I do to, but it's not every single day. I can have 3 patients and run around all morning without a break. I wonder what I'm doing wrong or what corners they are cutting. ?

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion