158 unit 2 | Working Within the Organization
Coming onto the unit, Celia, the evening charge
nurse, already knew that a hectic day was in
progress. Scattered throughout the unit were clues
from the past 12 hours. Two patients on emergency
department stretchers had been placed outside obser-
vation rooms already occupied by patients who were
admitted the previous day in critical condition.
Stationed in the middle of the hall was the code cart,
with its drawers opened and electrocardiograph
paper cascading down the sides. Approaching the
nurses’ station, Celia found Guillermo buried deep in
paperwork. He glanced at her with a face that had
exhaustion written all over it. His f irst words were,
“Three of your RNs called in sick. I called staff ing for
additional help, but only one is available. Good
luck!” Celia surveyed the unit, looked at the number
of staff members available, and reviewed the patient
acuity level of the unit. She decided not to let the sit-
uation upset her. She would take charge of her own
time and reallocate the time of her staff. She began to
reorganize her staff mentally according to their
capabilities and alter the responsibilities of each
member. Having taken steps to handle the problem,
Celia felt ready to begin the shift.Business executives, managers, students, and nurses
know that time is a valuable resource. Time cannot
be saved and used later, so it must be used now and
wisely. As a new nurse, you may at times find your-
self sinking in the “quicksand” of a time trap, know-
ing what needs to be done but just not having the
necessary time to do it (Ferrett, 1996). In today’s
fast-paced health-care environment, time manage-
ment skills are critical to a nurse’s success. Learning
to take charge of your time and to use it effectively
and efficiently is the key to time management
(Gonzalez, 1996). Many nurses believe they never
have enough time to accomplish their tasks. Like
the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland,they are
constantly in a rush against time. Time manage-
ment, simply, is organizing and monitoring time so
that patient care tasks can be scheduled and imple-
mented in a timely and organized fashion (Bos &
Vaughn, 1998).
The Tyranny of Time
Newton stated that time was absolute and that it
occurred whether the universe was there or not.
Einstein theorized that time has no independent
existence apart from the order of events by which
people measure it (Smith, 1994). It really does not
matter which theory is correct because, for nurses,
their professional and personal lives are guided
by time.
How often do you look at your watch during the
day? Do you divide your day into blocks of time?
Do you steal a quick glance at the clock when you
come home after putting in a full day’s work? Do
you mentally calculate the amount of time left to
complete the day’s tasks of grocery shopping, driv-
ing in a car pool, making dinner, and leaving again
to take a class or attend a meeting? Calendars,
clocks, watches, newspapers, television, and radio
remind people of their position in time. Perception
of time is important because it affects people’s use
of time and their response to time (Box 11-1).
Computers complete operations in a fraction of
a second, and speeds can be measured to the
nanosecond. Time clocks that record the minute
employees enter and leave work are commonplace,
and few excuses for being late are really considered
acceptable. Timesheets and schedules are part of
most health-caregivers’ lives. Staff members arebox 11-1
Time Perception
Webber (1980) collected a number of interesting tests of
people’s perception of time. You may want to try several
of these:- Do you think of time more as a galloping horseman or a
vast motionless ocean? - Which of these words best describes time to you: sharp,
active, empty, soothing, tense, cold, deep, clear, young,
or sad? - Is your watch fast or slow? (You can check it with the
radio.) - Ask a friend to help you with this test. Go into a quiet
room without any work, reading material, radio, food,
or other distractions. Have your friend call you after
10–20 minutes have elapsed. Try to guess how long
you were in that room.
Webber test results interpreted. A person who has a circular
concept of time would compare time with a vast ocean.
A galloping horseman would be characteristic of a linear
conception of time, emphasizing speed and forward
motion. A person oriented to a fast tempo and achievement
would describe time as clear, young, sharp, active,
or tense rather than empty, soothing, sad, cold, or deep.
These same fast-tempo people are likely to have fast
watches and to overestimate the amount of time that they
sat in a quiet room.
Adapted from Webber, R.A. (1980). Time Is Money! Tested Tactics That
Conserve Time for Top Executives. New York: Free Press.