Setting Priorities Helps Streamline Time Management

Providing patient care in a timely manner is essential to providing high quality care. Yet oftentimes, medical laboratories are beset by challenges that can slow that process down.

Kay Washington, MD, PhD, FASCP, a pathologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn., takes a very hands-on approach to keep cases moving in her surgical pathology practice. For example, even though she is in an academic practice environment with multiple experienced pathology assistants, she often goes into the grossing room when complex specimens are received to figure out what is going on with a case and strategize on the best approach, thus streamlining case handling for efficiency.  

Learning how to manage your time and prioritize projects are key components to working effectively in the medical laboratory. When she began her career, Dr. Washington always paid careful attention to deadlines, setting aside time each day to work on projects.

“I’d have a big calendar at my desk with key deadlines written in. It’s important to break down big projects into manageable chunks in order to see progress being made, and to not get overwhelmed,” she says.  

As she has moved up the career ladder, she has honed those skills even more. “I can’t live by procrastination. I have to feel more in control of my time,” says Washington, who serves as director for several research biorepositories and shared resources, including the Vanderbilt Digestive Diseases Research Center, the Vanderbilt SPORE in GI Cancer, and the Western Division of the Cooperative Human Tissue Network.

“I have colleagues who think that he or she is the only person who can do certain things,” Dr. Washington notes. “As you move up management ladder, that’s a counterproductive attitude. Empowering good people who work with you to their responsibilities and not micromanage them is my approach.”

The lab manager in the biorepository Dr. Washington runs is exceptional, she says, adding, “The best thing I can do is stay out of her way. I realize that doesn’t work in all situations.”

Deciding what gets top priority during the day is clear-cut for Dr. Washington. Patient care comes first. Second, she has to meet deadlines when working collaboratively on grant-funded projects. Third is the work she does for outside organizations as a volunteer. She ensures that the deadlines for such projects are realistic.

“Part of developing professional maturity is realizing that you’re not the only person who can accomplish certain things,” she says. “You can’t be a master of everything. In today’s academic environment, you have to prioritize where you want to be. Where I see people running into trouble is when they are overcommitted. They haven’t figured out what their priorities are or how to say no. Some say yes to do everything and deliver nothing on time.”