A Professional Module

After finishing this inservice, you

will be able to:
State at least two reasons why
prioritizing your work is important.
Outline Maslows Hierarchy of Needs
theory and explain how you can use it
to prioritize your work.
Explain how prioritizing can help you
deal with a difficult client.
Discuss how setting goals and creating
to do lists can help you prioritize your
work.
Develop your own flexible, prioritized
daily work schedule that is unique to
your working environment.

2012 In the Know, Inc.
Some days you may have
so much to do, you cant
see the beginning or the
end.
When you plan your day by
setting clear and
appropriate prioritizes, you
are paving your own yellow
brick road!
Of course, even the best
brick road can have
potholes or lead to a wrong
turn, but as long as you
keep your priorities in mind,
you will get back on the
path and soon reach your
destination.
Being able to prioritize means you
know how to schedule your day so
that the most important thing (at the
time) gets your full attention.
Its Good Customer Service. Clear
priorities bring calmness and
predictability to your clients day.
Safety Should Always Be On Your
Radar. By planning ahead, you can
head off many safety issues before
they ever happen.
Work Smarter, Not Harder.
Prioritizing safety will make your
whole day run much more smoothly.
Get the Whole Picture. Take a few
minutes at the beginning of each shift
to assess what has happened during
the previous shift and what needs
to happen on your shift.
Maslows Hierarchy of Needs
1. Physical Needs: Oxygen, water,
food, elimination, activity and rest.
2. Safety and Security Needs:
Shelter, clothing, and protection
from harm.
3. Need for Love: Feeling loved,
accepted and belonging.
4. Self Esteem Needs:
Achievement, belief in ones own
worth and value.
5. Self Actualization Needs: The
need to learn, create and achieve
ones own potential.
Physical and safety needs are
the most important priorities
for your clients.
Oxygen: If your client is unable to
breathe because of disease or
obstructionnothing else matters
this is your only priority!
Water: Water is essential to
maintain life. Watch your clients
closely for signs of dehydration.
Food: Without food, starvation
occurs. Watch your clients closely.
Report any changes in intake,
difficulty chewing or swallowing,
vomiting or refusal to eat.
Elimination: A call for help from the
client to get to the bathroom is a
priority! Falls, broken bones, and
head injuries can result when a client
attempts to get to the bathroom in a
hurry because the wait for help was
too long.
Safety needs must be met at the
same time as physical needs.
In Facilities: To prioritize safety in
a facility with many clients, you
should:
1. Get report or read the charts:
You need to know about any risk
factors and/or special orders.
2. Do a quick safety check: Take
a moment the ensure that your
clients are breathing and in a
safe position.
3. Remove obstacles: Move or
remove anything that may cause
a client to fall.
4. Check equipment: Make sure
all equipment is in good working
order before using.
In the Home: If you work in the
home environment with just one
client at a time, you will do all of the
things on the previous page, and:
1. Perform a Safety Inspection:
Routinely check for dangers.
2. Recommend Assistive
Devices: There are many
assistive devices available to
make things safe in the home.
3. Adapt and Change: Help your
client re-organize things so that
items are easily reached.
4. Poison Control: Make sure all
cleaning supplies or dangerous
chemicals are clearly labeled in
their original containers.
Vital Signs: Start every shift by
assessing your clients vital
signs. This gives you a
baseline to start from.
Intake and Output: Be sure
you know if any of your clients
are on strict I&O. This will
mean you will have to prioritize
keeping close tabs on
everything that goes in and
everything that comes out!
Daily Weights: Many clients
will need to be weighed every
day. Plan ahead to weigh your
clients on the same scale, at the
same time of day, and wearing
the same amount of clothing.
Worst Things First! Avoiding
your difficult client is the worst
thing you could do. Putting clients
off only prolongs your anxiety and
theirs.
Identify the high need or
difficult client(s). Be prepared,
in advance, to budget and spend
more time with this client.
Go above and beyond!
Ask your client, What else can
I do for YOU before I leave your
room?
Give your client some control by
allowing him to make some
decisions about when and how
you will care for him.
Make a daily To Do list and
number the items on your list in
order of importance.
Set goals for yourself each day but
be realistic!
If you get to the end of your day and
find there are still items on your to
do list dont just ignore them,
youll have to make some decisions
about what to do:
1. If the item on your list can wait
until tomorrow, start tomorrows
list right away and put that item
at the top.
2. If the item cant wait until
tomorrow, you may need to stay
late to complete it.
3. Or, you will have to notify your
supervisor and pass the task the
next shift.
Ban Electronic Communication
Devices: Electronic devices can be
distracting and distractions in
healthcare can lead to deadly
mistakes. When you are at work,
you are being paid to give your
clients your full attention. Unless it
is an emergency, keep your
electronic communications for
when you are on a break or at
lunch.
Steer Clear of Gossip: Stay out of
gossip circles by not participating
when you see it happening.
Remove yourself from any
conversation that targets a co-
worker. Gossip distracts you from
the task at hand, has no purpose,
and can really bring down morale.
The Key to Prioritizing Your
Day Lies In:
Knowing what is important
and why.
Understanding how long it
takes to do the things you
need to do.
Responding to emergencies
and interruptions without
being knocked off track.
Keeping a to do list with
tasks numbered in order of
importance.
Eliminating things like phone
calls, texts, gossip circles that
take your focus off your
priorities!

When trying to schedule your
time and set priorities, follow your
workplace guidelines first.
Try to arrive at work about ten
minutes early each day.
Remember that your clients
needs may change from day to
day. So the first thing you should
always do is get report or read
the charts to find out what has
changed.
Planning your day with clear
priorities will leave you feeling
more productive and less
stressed throughout your day! In
addition, your clients will benefit
from your new organizational
skills as well!
What are your top 5 priorities for each
day? What is the order of
importance? Discuss why you chose
your number 1 priority as the most
important.
What are the main types of things that
keep you from fulfilling your daily
priorities gossiping, interruptions,
your cell phone? How can you
eliminate these time wasters?
You have a client who is diabetic.
Here blood sugar just before lunch is
30. She is drowsy and confused.
Lunch is not scheduled to arrive for
another 30 minutes. What do you do?
2012 In the Know, Inc.