Use technology at work to be more efficient

  • Learn to type – if you say you don’t have time to learn, think of all the time you will waste over the course of your life with a hunt-and-peck method
  • Keep your documents in cloud storage so you can work on them anytime
    • Save your documents early and often – the kids all use Google Docs, which auto-saves
    • Save to alternative sources as well: USB drives, external hard drive, cloud storage
  • Learn how to search emails and how to digitize documents (you can use an iphone’s notes app to scan a document and convert to pdf) and make them searchable
  • Consider using project management apps to keep organized, either free or paid
  • Learn how to join meetings remotely
    • Does this meeting need to be in person or is Zoom more convenient?
    • Does this need to be a meeting at all? Will email or a quick group chat work?
  • Set yourself up to chart efficiently
    • Set up dot-phrases, macros, pre-completed notes (always being careful to customize each patient’s note)
      • While initial set-up may take some time, you will save much more time eventually
      • Use a slower overnight shift to set some of this up
    • Leave the docbox area at the end of the shift and go somewhere quiet and without distractions to chart
      • Or, use headphones while charting to signify, “I’ve signed out and am finishing my charting and I’m not available to chat or answer questions.”

Use technology at home to be more efficient

  • Make coffee (K-cup, french press, or standard coffee maker) at home – save time and money from not going to Starbucks
  • Pre-load a blender with ingredients for a quick breakfast smoothie to make in the AM
    • While not technological, overnight oats is another popular breakfast timesaver
  • The Instant Pot is a pressure cooker, slow cooker, and many other kinds of cooker. It is your friend. Learn to use it and make home-cooked dinners quickly and easily – here’s some recipes to get you started. For more things you can do with the Instant Pot, look here and here and here
  • An Air Fryer is another popular time saving cooking device – find recipes here
  • A panini press is a quick way for older kids and teens to make themselves a sandwich for a snack or second dinner – here are recipes
  • Use tracking devices on your keys, in your wallet, on anything you tend to misplace and spend time looking for
    • While you’re at it, train everyone in your family to keep items (eg keys, bookbags, sports shoes & equipment, etc.) in one place where they know they’ll find them