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10 Worst Time Wasters at Work
Tania Khadder | NursingLink
Culprit #6: Ineffective Multi-Tasking
Everyone likes to think they’re great at multi-tasking, especially nurses. And maybe you are. But there’s a limit to how many things you can do at once without taking away from the quality of your work and, ultimately, slowing down the process. Shifting between five different projects at once? You’re probably wasting your time.
The solution: Prioritize and then break up your day accordingly. It’s the key to successfully completing any project. Write down everything you hope to achieve and assign a set time to do so based on importance. With nursing it’s easy; you have patients to take care of, doctors to help, and charting to do! Don’t move on to the next task until you’ve really completed the previous one. Not only will you do a better job when you’re focused, you’ll also force yourself to finish something within the time allotted.
sgriessmann
over 3 years ago
2 comments
This was obviously an attempt to re-work an article for non-healthcare office work for a healthcare setting. Unfortunately, as others have stated, it simply doesn't work. The author obviously does not have a grasp on healthcare workflow and time constraints. I used to work in a non-healthcare office setting. Great article for that setting. Worthless rambling for the bedside nurse.
lindainman
over 3 years ago
4 comments
What is the editor smoking? Lately I've worked in a Cardiology office and an ED. Bathroom breaks were hard to get let alone a full 30min lunch break. I found it impossible to keep up with hospital emails. Pt care comes first.
major_pain
over 3 years ago
2 comments
What dream world is the editor living in? Time? For what? lol... Get rid of the cell phone at work, "IT DEPARTMENT" can make it impossible to surf the web. Meetings? Sounds like a place I would like to work. Understaffed, underpaid and under the radar. Maybe the article was directed at management sector and not the working feet on the floor. Reality please, lol...
marina_dilbone1
over 3 years ago
26 comments
Most of the time I agree-we don't have time -not on days or nights to get on and instant message-but once in a while have seen especially among younger crowd-and some olderies like me where on night when patients are actually settled-time is spent in blocks looking at concerts,movies,shopping-have seen it and no I am sure not perfect myself
NancyMueh
over 3 years ago
2 comments
I agree with everyone below me. I don't get time for a break let alone read emails or instant messages. I work and run so much that I wouldn't even feel my phone buzz in my pocket. The only I use the computer for is ordering meds and looking at VS. I'd like to work where I had any time to have any of these time wasting issues.
kimmyrn
over 3 years ago
2 comments
None of these times wasters are appropriate for this bedside RN, being continuously "poked" re: OT because of charting after next shift arrives to care for the patients. When I sit @ the computer to chart during shift, I am usually interupted by call light, pt. family, co-worker requiring assistance, phone calls on the portable phone, etc. This is what I deal with every shift of work. Not meetings, never personal emails, not IM, not cig break.
jfpatter
over 3 years ago
6 comments
This is a wonderful article! I have worked at the bedside and away from it. The stress, burnout and turnover in the nursing profession can be generated by the work practices and attitudes of individual staff. Thank you.
deegrimmett
over 3 years ago
2 comments
Who are these people. I run my entire shift, eat on the go, and rarely get a potty break. I haven't had a real, not working, lunch break in 20 years. Bedside care is WORK. and shifts are demanding. This article was a complete waste of my time.
woosy1313
over 3 years ago
2 comments
The article is useless to the majority of nurses who provide bedside patient care. A total waste of my time.
saturley2000
over 3 years ago
2 comments
Not a good article for anyone who see patients. Reading it, wasted some of my day off.
vicmcd
over 3 years ago
8 comments
This is completely a waste of time. What nurse... actual patient care person, has time for any of this? This article however does point to a growing problem in nursing, everybody wants to be a manager or office person, WHO is going to take care of the patients? NO ONE, that's who. Unless you think about the over worked, under paid LPN's who do actual assessments, away from the desk. But they are not "actually" nurses are they?
NurseT2009
over 3 years ago
10 comments
Yeah this is NOT for bedside nursing!!! None of this applies.
mrsclaus1
over 3 years ago
4 comments
This article does not related to bedside nursing at all!
Lilywhiteazz
over 3 years ago
2 comments
I do not agree with this list AT ALL unless you are management. NO ONE has time to be doing all the online stuff this warns against. Who has time to check email that often? if it is work email, i check it at the beginning of my shift and later that day MAYBE. Urgent email? Hardly. If it is urgent someone will be giving you a call.