demonstrate safe and effective clinical decision making in line with Standards for competence for registered nurses

Professional issue 2 – Time management and prioritisation

Time management and prioritising clinical demands are challenges you will face throughout your career as a nurse. Whether you work in the community or acute health setting you will face constant demands on your time which will require you to make many clinical decisions. This scenario provides an opportunity to demonstrate safe and effective clinical decision making in line with Standards for competence for registered nurses (NMC, 2018).

 

(50%)

You are a newly qualified nurse working in an acute medical ward. You receive handover for a bay of six patients. The health care assistant you are expecting to work with has not arrived on shift yet. Patient 1 (Mr Brown) is frail and confused and is wandering around the ward. The night nurse tells you he has been a nuisance overnight which has prevented her doing much of her work. Patient 2 (Mr Green) has just arrived from the emergency department with pneumonia. The night nurse hands over that he still hasn’t received his first dose of intravenous antibiotics yet. She states that he seemed quite short of breath when she admitted him but hasn’t had a chance to review him as she has been trying to get the Mr Brown back to bed. Patient 3 (Mr Black) is a surgical patient and is due to go to theatre this morning for an appendicectomy. Patient 4 (Mr Grey) has been admitted with acute sickle cell crisis. He is requesting some subcutaneous morphine which is prescribed. You looked after the two other patients yesterday and understand they are in a stable condition. Directly after handover the consultant arrives and asks you to attend the ward round.

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Your discussion must centre around time management and prioritisation.