[studentnurse1]

Hello everyone!

I am a nursing student begining to start my last semester. I still have problems with time management in clinical, and was wondering if anyone had some advice? Thank you in advance.
Angela

[nursekate]

Angela,

Time management is something you will learn over time. It took me about a year of hospital nursing before I felt like I wasn't running to get things done. Stop, take a breathe, as a previous charge nurse I would rather you slow down and think, perform the duty at hand, and if you get behind or feel rushed ask for help. Regardless of what you may have heard most nurses are willing and able to help out a new grad!

NurseKate

[SoldierNurse]

Studentnurse1, NurseKate had some excellent suggestions, which if I may add boils down to prioritze, delegate, and ask for help from your peers.

Hang in there!

[nchappynurse]

Here is a link that might help with time management (tips and sample schedule).

[kimmiejs]

One thing that I do at the beginning of my shift is quickly stop I to see my patients and introduce myself. In less than a minute you can learn a lot about a patient through the power of observation. For example...A patient in respiratory distress will not be sitting up eating breakfast or talking on the phone.

Instead of using a blood pressure monitor to check your patients vital signs take it the old fashioned way. In the end you will have saved time. By the time you have brought in a blood pressure monitor you could have checked it manually, checked an apical pulse, heart sounds, and breath sounds as well. What you have left out can be done when you are giving medications or changing dressings.

I hope this helps.