How do you keep tabs on small details and stay focused?

What are tips on remembering what needs to be done when you're busy in the ward?

I write tasks down on a small piece of paper or make a note on the phone.
But still sometimes forget something in the end.

Reply 1

Spencer Wells

Original post by RoboDoc

Your list is your life. Write the job next to the patient's details on your patient list. If there's not enough space, then consider re-designing the patient list to make more space.
Ask you colleagues what they do - they may have some suggestions that are appropriate to the hospital/ward setup that you're working in.
These things do get better. I remember being amazed when I started as a house officer at the amount of detail that my seniors remembered about their patients. A few months later and I found it was getting easier and easier.

Reply 2

Democracy

I had a patient list and a separate jobs list as I found scribbling stuff on the patient list ended up making it too cluttered and messy.

Managing a ward of 30 patients is not an easy job at all. If you think you're someone who's prone to forgetting things, make it a rule to write everything down as soon as you hear it - no matter how small. With time, your skills will improve.

Reply 3

nexttime

Original post by RoboDoc

I write tasks down on a small piece of paper or make a note on the phone.
But still sometimes forget something in the end.

Its just about writing stuff down in the format you find most reliable. Also doing as much as you can as you go along helps.

Is that a personal phone? You should not have patient info on your phone if so, even transiently.

Reply 4

RoboDoc

Even if the info is anonymised?

Original post by nexttime

Reply 5

nexttime

Original post by RoboDoc

Even if the info is anonymised?

Well its not anonymised - I guess you maybe use a bed number. Its just without a name or personal details.

That does make it more excusable (although some people will still have a significant problem with you doing that) but it also makes it less useful right? The point of a patient list is that it has the identification details you need when doing your tasks!

Reply 6

Hype en Ecosse

I write down like this:

-> Patient bed number, patient initials
---> job (FBC)
---> reason needs done (?UGIB)

If I'm going on a ward round I take 2 A4 sheets of paper, write down spaces for all the beds and side rooms, then fill it in as I go along.