Time Management

It’s so easy to become lost in time when working on a hospital ward, and it pays to be mindful of the effect this can have on patients. I remember whilst being on my orthopaedic inpatients clinic, I had one patient who was off-handed when receiving physiotherapy treatment. After a while, he informed me that he had a previous knee replacement, and a physio had applied CPM for his knee but had subsequently forgot to take it off. He still appeared disgruntled over this. As I had to apply CPM for his Day 1TKR, I assured him that I would be back within the hour. I wrote it on my patient list in big bold writing, to ensure I would not forget to remove the CPM, as I myself occasionally had the tendency to let time lapse. As a result, I remembered and the patient appeared surprised but happy that I remembered. From this time on, he was more respectful and compliant with physiotherapy.

Sometimes during physiotherapy sessions, I will say to the patients that I will see them later in the day, providing I get time. Occasionally, as the wards can become busy, I may not have time to see the patient again, as they are not a priority. Alternatively, I may see them a bit later than what I originally intended. Even though it does not affect my emotions, I have found that if I don’t inform the patient I will be a bit late or not get time to see them again, many can become offended and in turn not be as willing to co-operate with physiotherapy.

Even though our time doesn’t revolve around one specific patient, it is still important to remember to be courteous and tell them what is happening, so they know we haven’t forgotten about them. I have found that I generally only focus on my own time schedule, and forget of the impact this may have on patient emotion and wellbeing, as physiotherapy sessions are an integral part of their rehabilitation and are an important part of their daily interactions. I am now writing down, along with the time, if I mentioned to a patient I may see them later in the day to ensure I do not forget to see them, and if I do not have time to see them, I will communicate this with them. Alternatively, if I am running late, I will try to pop my head into their room to let them know. By now looking beyond myself and factoring in patient emotion along with time management and communication, I find I am now developing better rapport with my patients and subsequently better results in physiotherapy, as they are now more compliant and co-operative with my instructions.