13 Managing Time

Learning Outcomes Identify time wasters. Identify goals. Set priorities. Group activities and minimize routine work. Manage personal organization and self-discipline. Minimize time wasters.

Time Management No one manages time, but we can determine how we use time

Organizational Factors Job enlargement Organizational structure that can affect time demands Flatter organizational structure Positions combined, with managers having more staff to supervise

Time Wasters Staff interruptions Meetings without a clear purpose Goals, objectives, and priorities that are not measurable Plans without time parameters

Time Wasters Disorganized files or papers Time logs, not analyzed Tasks/activities that can be delegated Waiting for others Inability to say no

Time Logs Examine your planner or appointment book to determine how you spend your time Determine time wasters and activities that can be delegated to others or eliminated

Goals Goals provide a guide, a time frame, and a way to measure accomplishments

Goal Categories Department or unit Interpersonal Professional Financial Social

Goal Categories Vacation and travel Physical Lifestyle Community Spiritual

Managing Goals Identify objectives to be achieved Describe specific activities necessary to achieve these objectives Estimate time required for each activity Determine planned activities for concurrent action versus sequential Identify activities that can be delegated

Prioritizing – Urgent and Important A patient’s condition becomes life threatening and you have other patients who need your care How do you handle the situation? Have students identify how they would ask for assistance and ask other nurses to check in on their patients While they are handling the life threatening situation.

Prioritizing – Important but Not Urgent You are the clinical preceptor for a nurse resident who needs to debrief about how he communicated with the case manager about a patient’s discharge plans How do you handle the situation?

Prioritizing – Urgent but Not Important Today is the deadline to submit a quality assurance report about decubitus ulcers; the study results demonstrate that staff practice is consistent with standards and the decubitus ulcer rate is decreasing How do you handle the situation?

Minimize Routine Work Group similar items within the divisions of the work shift Group routine tasks during the least productive time Use transition or waiting time productively Implement the daily plan and follow up

Self-Discipline Work from clearly defined priorities based on measurable, achievable objectives Establish realistic commitments to manage time effectively

Self-Discipline Explain to your superior how being overloaded will have consequences on your assignments Communicate your own needs to others

Interruptions Each time you are stopped in the middle of one activity to give attention to something else, you are wasting valuable time How can you approach interruptions to save time?

Interruption Log List interruptions that occur Describe how the interruption affects your work Analyze interruptions to determine patterns Calculate how much time is wasted

Paperwork Plan and schedule times for paperwork Sort paperwork for effective processing Send every communication online Analyze paperwork frequently Do not be a paper shuffler; handle paper once

Other Interruptions Phone calls, text messages E-mail Set a specific time for them E-mail Check only at specific times

Other Interruptions Drop-in visitors Meetings Control frequency and duration Meetings Schedule only as necessary, have an agenda, and set time limit