Nursing

  Checking e-mail too often can waste time. Each time you read a message, you are forced to think about it and you lose your focus on the task at hand. Turn off your e-mail alert and set specific times of day to check your in-box. Also discourage people who forward you unwanted messages. Set […]

Interruption Log Name Purpose Time Topics Importance Actions Joan, RN Stopped in manager’s office to talk 10 minutes Kids’ baseball games, husband’s new job Not related to work activities, but helps build relationship with staff Proactively plan time for occasional personal conversa- tions with staff to build relationships; plan to eat lunch in breakroom one

Keeping an interruption log on an occasional basis may help. The log should show who interrupted, the nature of the interruption, when it occurred, how long it lasted, what topics were discussed, the importance of the topics, and time-saving actions to be taken. An example is shown in Box 13-3. Analysis of these data may

Controlling Interruptions An interruption occurs any time you must stop in the middle of one activity to give attention to something else. Interruptions can be an essential part of your job, or they can be a time waster. An interruption that is more important and urgent than the activity in which you are involved is

How time is used is often a matter of resolving conflicts among competing needs. It is easy to become overloaded with responsibilities and with more tasks to do than can be accomplished in the time available. This is typical. There is never enough time for all the activities, situations, and events in which one might

Grouping Activities and Minimizing Routine Work Work items that are similar in nature and require similar environmental surroundings and resources should be grouped within divisions of the work shift. Set aside blocks of uninterrupted time for the really important tasks, such as preparing the budget. Group routine tasks, especially those that are not important or

Category of Time Use Examples Important and urgent Replacing two call-offs and ensuring sufficient staffing for the upcoming shift. Important, not urgent Drafting an educational program for nurses on the changes in Medicare reimbursement. Urgent, not important Completing and submitting the “beds available” list for a disaster drill. Busywork Compiling new charts for future patient

Activities that are both urgent and important must be completed. Activities that are impor- tant but not urgent may make the difference between career progression and maintaining the status quo. Urgent but not important activities must be completed immediately but are not con- sidered important or significant. Busywork and wasted time are self-explanatory. Additionally, others’

LEARNING KEY SKILLS IN NURSING MANAGEMENT Delegating tasks to others can be an efficient time-management tool. Delegation is the pro- cess by which responsibility and authority are transferred to another individual. It involves as- signing tasks, determining expected results, and granting authority to the individual expected to accomplish these tasks. Delegation is perhaps the most

What specific objectives are to be achieved? Short-term goals should be set for the next 6 to 12 months, but need to be related to long- term goals. To manage time effectively, answer five major questions about these goals: 1. What specific objectives are to be achieved? 2. What specific activities are necessary to achieve