Adaptability
I do not like to schedule times for patient care. Rehab units are another matter and I have worked successfully under the tyrannical rule of time tables. I have also subjected myself to the outpatient setting where I have sat around for an hour or more waiting for patients to show up. And in acute care, forget about it.
Last week I spoke about planning ahead and efficiency. If I could schedule my patients then I could plan ahead and thus be more efficient, right? No. It does not work for me. If the patient has a fall, unexpected appointments, visitors, etc then my plan does not work. Then there are the days I have to rush to the E.R. and spend the day there with my family.
Being able to adapt to an ever changing environment and maintain efficiency will allow me to move on quickly when something unexpected happens.
If one patient needs to use the bathroom, walk them there, let the nursing staff know, and move on to the next patient. Therapy can always be done in spurts of time. I have walked people to and from the dining room at lunch and then seen them for exercises, transfers, etc. in the late afternoon. We can assist nursing with getting people up and incorporate bed mobility, transfers, wheelchair mobility at meal times and then see them later in the therapy gym.
If, during a therapy session, family members show up unexpectedly, I can end the session with them so they can visit and begin treating another patient. Being too stringent in our schedules and how we incorporate our treatments will limit what we can accomplish with patient care.