Finding Power in Time Management

This nurse admits she actually loves the fast-paced mix of patients on a medical-surgical floor

Welcome to Nurse Ascent, a twice-weekly newsletter created by nurses for nurses. Before we get into this week's edition, we wanted to extend one last invitation to complete a brief, 2-minute survey meant to helps us understand what you value most. As a thank you, you'll be entered to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

This week, a nurse shares her way of finding a rhythm on a busy med-surg floor by challenging herself to better her time-management skills. We also share job opportunities, and discuss changes to Medicare with the government shut down, the CDC's newest update on the seasonal COVID vaccines, as well as this years Nobel Prize in medicine.

But first, a moment for those (un)friendly reminders between shifts...

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Nurse Spotlight: Annie Anderson RN, BSN

What I do for work

I work on a cardiac telemetry floor as a medical-surgical nurse at a hospital in California. When I started here, the hospital called it the step-down unit, but we primarily treat cardiac patients and a few medical-surgical patients. All our patients have to be on telemetry monitoring, and when they are removed, they are transferred to a lower-acuity unit.

How I got here

Almost my entire career, I’ve been a medical-surgical nurse. Before this job, I was primarily on an orthopedic/nephrology floor before I moved across the state and started here on the cardiac floor. For some reason, I’ve always been drawn to the variability of the med-surg floor. I like how every patient is different, often with a complex variety of diagnoses. Right now, I’m enjoying the 4:1 patient ratio and the challenge of having to optimize my time management skills to get me through the shift.

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More on Annie Anderson

A day in my life

I work three 12-hour day shifts, starting at 7:00 a.m. I personally like to start my shift listening to the report rather than writing everything down. I’ll make note of anything super critical, but mostly I want to hear what the nurse has to say overall. On our unit, we take the report with the computer so I can look up history, labs, etc. as we discuss the patient’s diagnosis and any critical conditions or medications. From there, I start my workflow with my patient load of four. Every day is different, and you never really know what kind of patients you’ll have, despite having a specialty designated to the floor.

My self-care routine

As a new grad nurse, I learned very quickly that I was susceptible to taking work home with me, and it would leave me anxious. I used to be at home overthinking things and double-checking my to-do list after I was already off the clock. Thankfully, I learned how to better mentally clock out when I physically clocked out of work. Nowadays, as soon as I get home, I have a hot, relaxing shower, take my dogs for a really long walk (the longer the walk, the more stressful the shift), and then wind down with my favorite show and dinner with my husband. I also try to stay in the practice of going outside to clear my head or opening the windows in the house to get some fresh air.

Headlines in Healthcare

FDA speeds approval for U.S.-made generics

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration launched a new pilot program aimed at fast-tracking the review of generic drugs manufactured entirely within the United States, Reuters reports. Officials say the initiative will help reduce dependency on overseas suppliers and prevent future drug shortages — a persistent problem exposed during the pandemic. By encouraging domestic production, the FDA hopes to stabilize the supply chain and lower costs for both pharmacies and patients.

Prescription needed for COVID vax

On Monday, the CDC accepted the new guidelines for the updated COVID-19 vaccines, potentially making it harder for many people to access this immune protection. The new and controversial guidelines may require people to talk to a doctor or other healthcare provider before getting the shot in their community. NPR reports these changes may affect who can get and give the COVID vaccine and whether it will be covered by insurance.

New winner of a Nobel Prize

A team of three scientists have won a Nobel Prize in medicine for their discoveries on the body's peripheral immune tolerance. This mechanism helps prevent the body from attacking its own tissues instead of foreign invaders and these discoveries have been key to understanding why some people suffer from certain autoimmune diseases while others don't. The Nobel Assembly shared these findings have aided in the development of medical treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases.

An image of author Katie Scoggins is pictured.

Meet the author:
Katie Scoggins
(RN, BSN & Health Writer)

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