Stewardship of Time
The last couple of weeks I have talked about efficiency and adaptability and only touched on the subject of being a better steward of time. This may relate to productivity but more closely on how you use the time you are responsible for.
Therapy has become and now is a business. We are responsible for a certain number of treatments in the most efficient way possible. How we use that time is up to us. We can use it to talk to everyone we see as we walk down the hallway, we can gossip, or we can use a certain portion of it to plan and organize our day. The rest of our time can be spent implementing the plan.
Taking more responsibility in time management and realizing how this impacts patient care helps us to make better decisions. If we use our time differently we should eliminate lost time between patients. Charting during this time or making calls is a more efficient use of the time.
I do not advocate that we are only there to work. I goof off more than most and truly enjoy the time I spend with patients and others I work with. I do my share of talking and putzing around the department with busy work. But I also understand when it is time for the patients to work, they need to work. I also understand that the longer I am at work, the less time I spend with my family.
Before coming to work, have a plan and allow that plan to fluctuate and become adaptable to the patients situation. Then be aware of how much time you are at work and what exactly you are doing during this time. Try for one week to get home earlier and spend more time with your family.