Chapter 22
Managing Your Time
GOALS
After reading this chapter, you will have the information needed to:
- Describe how to schedule your time each working day.
- Discuss how to adjust your time if unplanned events occur.
- Explain how to communicate clearly to help you stay in control of your time.
Key Terms
Scenario: On a chaotic morning, single mom and new CNA Nora Fuentes juggles a broken iron, a fashion crisis and a child with stomach upset before catching the bus to work—hoping she can manage her time better on the floor than she did at home.
Looking Ahead to the Working World of Caregiving
Training schedules your time for you. On the job, you plan much of your day—often for many people at once. Real‑world care is complex: conditions and mobility vary; unplanned events (e.g., vomiting mid‑bath) force rapid re‑planning and reporting. It takes more time to provide care for a person who must stay in bed than for someone who is somewhat mobile.
Your responsibility is to get the work done effectively—planning time, balancing your schedule with each person’s needs and staying in control even when things change.
Planning Your Time
- At shift start, learn who is in your care and review the care plan and report for needs/changes and scheduled activities/treatments.
- Note tasks with specific times (vital signs, treatments, meals, turns/positions) and tasks without set times (bathing, dressing, oral hygiene).
- Draft a tentative schedule including prep steps (e.g., reserving the tub room) and support you’ll need from coworkers or your supervisor.
- Mark time‑specific tasks with a ★, then prioritize the rest. Expect unscheduled events; a clear plan makes readjusting easier.
- Transfers for people who are heavy, frail/weak/in pain, much larger than you, have pressure ulcers, or cannot bear weight.
- Situations beyond your experience—ask your supervising nurse.
Resolving Schedule and Needs Conflicts
People’s needs change; so must your plan. A schedule is your road map—it helps you find alternate routes when detours appear.
Staying in Control of Your Time
- At room entry, state how long you’ll be there and when you’ll return; ask about special needs up front (e.g., tea and toast) to absorb them into your plan.
- Stay relaxed; your calm helps the person stay calm—saving time later.
- Use appropriate touch; listen actively; clear communication reduces anxiety and unplanned requests.
Nora’s Day
Nora begins at 7:00 A.M. with five residents: Rachel Morgan (MS), Victor Rivera (stroke), Jake Wilson (diabetes), Shirley McDay (Alzheimer’s) and Rodney Britten (AIDS; wound isolation). She drafts a schedule and partners with Arthur Cid to team‑lift and coordinate breaks.
| Time | Rachel Morgan | Victor Rivera | Jake Wilson | Shirley McDay | Rodney Britten (Reverse Isolation) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 | Bedpan; set up A.M. care; bed bath; help dress | Urinal | Urine S&A | Tub 7:15; assist dentures/shave | V.S.; A.M. care (gown/gloves) |
| 7:45 | Tub 7:45; help dress | ||||
| 8:00 | Rest | Up to WC → DR (help) | Tray setup / assist feed | Assist walk to DR | Tray setup; assist feed (oc‑bed) |
| 9:00 | Un‑bed → DR → back | Urinal; A.M. care, dress, ROM | DR → back | DR → back | Rest |
| 10:00 | Rest in bed (help) | ROM; up to WC (help) | Un‑bed; 10:30 PT | Un‑bed | Un‑bed |
| 11:00 | Rest | Urinal | Check incont. | Check diarrhea | |
| 12:00 | Up to WC → DR (help); tray setup; assist feed | Assist walk to DR | Assist walk to DR; tray setup; assist feed | Rest | |
| 1:00 | 1:00 WC DR → PT | Urinal; 1:00 PT | DR → back | DR → back | Check diarrhea |
| 2:00 | Rest in bed (help) | Rest in bed (help) | Wife visits; 2:00 Rec T | Check incont. | V.S. |
| 3:00 | Report / Charting | Urinal | Check diarrhea | Remove trash/linens (help) |
Through the morning she practices Standard/Isolation Precautions, coordinates transfers with Arthur, protects dignity (complimenting Shirley’s outfit), and adjusts when simultaneous needs arise—leaning on teamwork and prioritization.
Adjusting the Schedule
When multiple call lights compete, stay calm, consult your plan, and prioritize. Ask teammates for help; communicate with your supervising nurse about time‑intensive/risky assignments.
Controlling Time
Review your plan at lunch; experience is the best teacher. Celebrate what’s done; refine the afternoon.
Focusing on Each Person in Your Care
Short, meaningful check‑ins matter—especially with isolated residents. Gentle presence and listening reduce anxiety and may prevent later crises.
Fiction and Reality
Nora’s day is fictional but typical—no two days are the same. With organization and flexibility you can manage your time effectively.
| Day Shift 7:00 A.M.–3:30 P.M.* | Afternoon Shift 3:00 P.M.–11:30 P.M.* | Midnight Shift 11:00 P.M.–7:30 A.M.* |
|---|---|---|
| Greet residents; A.M. care; assist with elimination; breakfast; position q2h; showers/baths; dressing; prep for treatments; perineal care; vital signs; prep for lunch; measure I&O; chart. | Greet residents; pass water; assist with elimination; prepare for supper; assist in passing trays; vital signs; measure I&O; pass HS snacks; chart. | Look in on residents; pass water; position q2h; clean equipment; showers (if needed); monitor residents; vital signs (if needed); measure I&O; chart. |
* Shift times vary by facility.
Information Review
- Factors influencing time use: number of people, medical conditions, needed care, mobility.
- Plan a schedule of tasks.
- When planning: consider how many people are assigned and how efficiently you can complete tasks.
- To list the most important tasks in order is to prioritize.
- When asked for assistance: work it into your schedule as well as possible.
- If the assignment seems impossible: ask coworkers for help and speak to your supervising nurse.
- Best ways to handle unexpected events: rearrange schedule and ask for help as needed.
- Now you can schedule your daily time, adjust for unplanned events and communicate clearly to stay in control.
Questions to Ask Yourself
- How would you plan a schedule like Nora’s? What could you communicate early to stay in control?
- How would you schedule multiple baths with different needs (complete, tub, showers, partial)?
- With several residents needing eating assistance, how would you keep meals hot?
- Where did you apply the six principles of care today—safety, privacy, dignity, communication, independence, infection control?
Word Element Usage
Prefixes (samples)
a-/an- (without); ab- (away); ad- (toward); anti- (against); brady- (slow); circum- (around); contra- (opposite); de- (down); di- (two); dys- (difficult); erythro- (red); ex- (out); hyper- (excessive); hypo- (under); in- (within/not); mal- (bad); non- (not); peri- (around); post- (after); pre-/pro- (before); re- (again); semi- (half); tachy- (rapid).
Roots & Suffixes (samples)
arthr/o (joint); dermat/o (skin); gastr/o (stomach); hemat/o (blood); my/o (muscle); oste/o (bone); pulmon/o (lung); psych/o (mind). — Suffixes: ‑algia (pain); ‑ectomy (removal); ‑itis (inflammation); ‑logy (study of); ‑oma (tumor); ‑pathy (disease); ‑phasia (speaking); ‑rrhea (discharge); ‑scopy (examination); ‑stomy (opening); ‑tomy (cutting).