Ineffective Time Management
Marilyn is the manager of a Medical Surgical unit in a busy city hospital. Budget time is approaching, and administration has become increasingly intolerant of overtime. Marilyn has been studying the payroll sheets for her unit, and she now recognizes that 4 nurses have been responsible for over half the end of shift overtime hours. These nurses have all been working on this unit for over 8 years, and provide exemplary patient care. The following are Marilyn’s observations concerning these nurses:
-Care provided is safe and thorough.
-Report is given promptly and thoroughly.
-Seldom are tasks carried over for the next shift.
-Nurses following these nurses are confident that the care and the report were complete.
-Almost all documentation by these nurses is done after their shift.
In view of these observations, Marilyn feels she needs to address the overtime issue with these nurses. She wants to be sure they know she appreciates their quality contributions to the unit.Discuss the following points:
1-How should Marilyn address this time management problem?
2-Where should documentation fall as a priority?
3-How might appropriate delegation help?
4-What action plan would you suggest?Your response should consist of complete sentences and should be at least one complete paragraph, but it should be no more than three paragraphs in length