1.Do some double-entry accounting of the money you began the week with and how you spent your funds. Was your spending what you anticipated?
2.On your next clinical rotation, observe the pattern of staff, the use of drugs and equipment, and anything that is unusual. Determine a simple budget for the division. Use categories for salaries, drugs and equipment, and housekeeping expenses. Then observe to discover if there will be a deviation from your plan. For instance, observe if extra patients are admitted, if a disaster occurs, or if too few staff requires the use of nurses from an internal float pool or an outside staffing agency.
