How do I Maintain Order in the Nursing System?

Managing a nursing system can be a demanding job. Keeping order can be accomplished with the help of implementing policies, providing a work schedule, assigning nurses to patients and ensuring that each nurse is knowledgeable about her job, allowing her to provide the best possible care for patients. Nursing managers or nursing supervisors are often in charge of running and maintaining a nursing department.

Instructions

• 1

  Maintain order in the nursing system by implementing policies. Employee policies establish basic guidelines that the staff must follow. Job description, responsibilities and nursing protocols can be included in a handbook. Keep the policy handbook that outlines the department's policies and procedures at each nurse's station so employees can refer to it when they have questions. A policy handbook can include the chain of command for reporting problems or complaints. It may also contain consequences for policy violations. Policy handbooks can be updated when new policies or changes to existing policies occur.

• 2

  Create a work schedule that is beneficial to both employees and the department.

  Create an employee schedule to help the nursing department run smoothly. Routine schedules will assist staff members manage their work and home life. It allows employees to plan appointments and activities around their work schedule. Employees who work a set schedule are able to create a routine, helping them provide the best possible care for their patients. Nurses can establish a work schedule that allows them to plan their day, allotting time for patient care, administering medication, preparing patients for testing and charting a patient's progress.

• 3

  Assign patients to nurses at the beginning of each shift. This allows nurses to plan their work schedule for the shift. Considerations such as patient-to-nurse ratio, the amount of care and the type of care needed should be made when assigning patients. Nurses who care for more patients who are in critical condition should be assigned fewer patients than nurses who care for stable patients because critical patients will require more time and care from their nurse. A realistic workload, assigning nurses no more than a minimum number of patients to care for, allows nurses to provide better care to their patients, helping the department run efficiently.

• 4

  Hold quality-assurance meetings to discuss good practices in the department and any needed improvements.

  Hold quality-assurance meetings and reviews to help maintain order in the nursing department. Quality assurance refers to the process of examining the quality and level of patient care provided by nurses. These meetings allow management to review current policies and make revisions to improve the department when needed. Questions and concerns about patients, care and department policies can be discussed. Meetings can be helpful for the entire department or on an individual basis. Quality assurance helps to assure that problems are addressed and resolved, making for a happier and more productive work environment.

• 5

  Provide training and continuing education. Keep nurses up-to-date on health care advances by providing continuing education and training. Nurses who are having problems or difficulties in an area can receive advice and tips on how to improve their weaknesses. Training provided at work can help eliminate the stress of finding the education required to renew their nursing license elsewhere. Nurses can be scheduled to attend training and continuing education classes, assuring that each nurse has the opportunity to attend. Training can be held at different times, giving the entire staff the opportunity to participate.