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

Nurses General Nursing

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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 Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

My commander in the military always said "work smarter not harder"......

Both nurses are likely busy; one may have more experience or is a master at organization. The busy one is not a harder worker by virtue of being "busy".

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Specializes in retired LTC.
16 hours ago, Hoosier_RN said:

Oh, dear, she's currently working at a neighboring dialysis clinic. The manager thinks she's great. Coworkers on the floor, not so much

Isn't she the same gal with that multi-state license? ? I think we worked together too.

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Finesse!

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Specializes in Dialysis.
8 hours ago, amoLucia said:

Isn't she the same gal with that multi-state license? ? I think we worked together too.

From all the comments on here regarding her, it's gotta be :roflmao:

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Specializes in Dialysis.
8 hours ago, SmilingBluEyes said:

My commander in the military always said "work smarter not harder"......

Both nurses are likely busy; one may have more experience or is a master at organization. The busy one is not a harder worker by virtue of being "busy".

in some cases I agree. But in other cases, especially when they've done chit-chat and text all shift and want everyone to help catch up end of shift, not

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I am extremely well organized; in my specialty it is a must or one drowns. Sometimes I check my cell during my long shift to see how family is doing.

I work very hard, but it does not always show. Does not mean I am not working as much as the next one. Means I have a system that keeps my head above water.

Clearly if a nurse is doing nothing but texting/internet etc, she/he has not got enough to do.

I will always, for myself, work smarter not harder.

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Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.

A hard learning for me was that if I'm stressed and letting it show then the people under me pick up on that and often end up stressed as well. I jokingly call it my nursey therapeutic poker face, its the face I wear when inside I'm curled up in a foetal position rocking.

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I am very rarely behind. I work in the ER most often and I dont really talk to my patients, I get in and get out. I dont ask about their day, chat about kids ect. Give meds, assess, vitals and leave the room. This saves me a lot of time.

I also cluster care. I'm not going into the room 6 times. I am sure to ask if they need anything before I go get meds for them for example. This way I can give them their blanket, give meds, and then leave. Eliminates running back and forth.

I use my downtime to help the other nurses around me. If they don't need me then I sit at the nurses' station and eat saltines LOL

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Specializes in Critical Care & Oncology.

Even efficient nurses can be busy. It's more of a controlled chaos kind of thing with us. Over the years, the ones that complain about being busy and frazzled all the time are usually the same ones that complain everyday even when they are given the most easiest assignments. Nothing pleases them and they tend to play "victim" when *** hits the fan. They blame everyone else but themselves because it can never be their fault for doing something wrong.

The other type you should look out for are the nurses that never ask for help especially when it's busy. Now those nurses scare me. I don't know if it is a pride thing but seriously, we can all use a helping hand at some time. These nurses are the ones that tend to make a lot of errors. Watch out! They seem like they have it all under control but in reality they don't but rather asking for help they make mistakes. Some mistakes you cannot take back. Even mistakes that can harm the patient.

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I've been a nurse for over 35 years. Unfortunately, my observation is when a nurse is not busy they are usually lazy and not spending time with patient's or families like they should. With understaffing so severe now-a-days I can't understand how any nurse could not possibly be busy most of the time. I am very organized and efficient in my care but rarely have had time even for lunch with all the tasks, meetings, charting ect.

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I am 66 and have been a nurse 35 years and have always wondered this myself. I have been told by peers " you do too much" and counselled about being late to clock out because I often don't find I have much time to chart while I am on my shift.

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On 4/27/2020 at 11:03 PM, SmilingBluEyes said:

My commander in the military always said "work smarter not harder"......

Both nurses are likely busy; one may have more experience or is a master at organization. The busy one is not a harder worker by virtue of being "busy".

We used to hear "work smarter, not harder:, too =. But it always seemed a big like a way to encourage nurses not to ask for better staffing but to put it all back on the nurses to figure out a way to do the same amount of work more efficiently, Sometimes that can be done, sometimes not,

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