Accomplishing too many tasks in too little time

Ways to beat the clock by managing time

Most patient education managers have multiple job duties. Sometimes coordinating patient education is only a small portion of their job description.

"There are times when I feel like I need to scream because I can’t accomplish everything I am asked to do on an individual basis, but having it all on my plate at the same time can become overwhelming," says Rita Becchetti, MHS, RNC, FHCE, director of staff development at Shriners Hospitals for Children, St.Louis. Becchetti and many of her colleagues have developed ways to manage time when their plate is too full. Following are a few of their tips for time management:

• Set realistic time frames.

Often, tasks patient education managers are asked to do are feasible, but time frames are not realistic.

"We tend to underestimate how long it is going to take to do a task, how many tools it will take, and the problems we might run into," says Becchetti.

When asked to develop a pamphlet or program, or assist with some other project, don’t automatically say yes just because it is something you can do, she warns. If you do agree to the project, take time to evaluate it, and estimate a realistic time line. Then double the time you think it will take to complete the project, allowing for setbacks and unexpected problems.

It’s a good idea to time tasks to know how long it takes to do routine things such as distributing educational materials to units. This helps when you are asked to take on a new task, says Nell Kapeghian, MSN, RN, patient education coordinator for Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, NJ. Knowing how much time is needed to meet general job demands helps when you are asked to take on additional tasks, she explains.

• Keep committees in control.

Sitting on committees can devour huge chunks of time. Being a one-person education department, Becchetti is asked to sit on every committee that needs a patient education representative. To keep committees on track, schedule a start and end time, says Becchetti.

"If the work isn’t completed during the allotted time, schedule another meeting," she says. "In that way, people can plan their other responsibilities around the meeting."

Set the ground rules for discussion at the beginning so people won’t stray from the topic at hand. Make sure everyone understands that the committee chair will interrupt those who get off track, says Becchetti. It also helps to limit work teams to two or three people.

"We found that if we keep the number down, we get more accomplished, and it is easier to get everyone to agree to a meeting time," she explains.

• Take advantage of technology.

Using the hospital’s e-mail system when trying to get approval for pamphlet copy or program curriculum is much quicker than memos or telephone calls, says Kapeghian.

"People who would take several days to several weeks to get back to me now give me an overnight response when I e-mail them. I am also able to reach the administrative team via e-mail as well. Before e-mail, I would leave a message with their secretaries and ask for a response, which would sometimes take several days. Now I can contact them directly," she explains.

Currently, the Deborah Heart and Lung Center is reformatting education materials so they can be electronically distributed via the center’s Intranet. (For more information on distributing materials on the Intranet, see July 1997 Patient Education Management, pp. 81-83.) This will save time, since materials will no longer have to be distributed to each floor.

• Use hospital volunteers to ease workload.

At Deborah Heart and Lung Center, volunteers are asked to do such tasks as assembling patient education packets.

"We are using volunteers more than we ever have before. They are scheduled for certain days and hours each week," says Kapeghian.

• Delegate and empower where you can.

Train others to do your job wherever you can, advises Joyce Dittmer, RN, MSN, director of education services at St. Joseph’s Hospital of Atlanta. This might include creating writing guidelines so others can write pamphlets or turning program design over to a multidisciplinary team.

"It won’t mean you will be out of a job; it will free you up to do what you need to do," she says.