To be able to meet the needs of assigned clients and the responsibilities associated with the position, nurses must be aware of time-management techniques. Which of the following repre-sents a time-management skill for the nurse?

Question

a. Meeting all of the client's needs in the early morning hours
b. Planning effectively and being aware of competing priorities
c. Doing each of the client's assessments and treatments individually at separate times throughout the day
d. Leaving each day unplanned to allow for adaptations in treatments

Answer 1

B
Time-management skills for nurses include reflecting on how they use their time, planning effec-tively, and being aware of competing priorities. Learning new technologies, juggling various priorities, and responding to multiple demands are issues nurses are required to respond to in a timely fashion.
Meeting all of the client's needs in the early morning hours would be an unrealistic goal. Some activities have specific time limits in terms of addressing client needs, and some activities follow scheduled routines according to hospital policy. The nurse may also have to work around changes in schedules, such as if the client had a test ordered for the morning. Therefore the nurse cannot expect to meet all of the client's needs at a specified time of day.
Time management involves using client goals as a way to identify priorities. The nurse, in re-viewing the care requirements, organizes his or her time so the activities of care and client goals can be achieved. The nurse should complete the activities started with one client before moving on to another.
Because the nurse has a limited amount of time with clients, it is essential to remain goal-oriented and make a plan for using time wisely.