Being a nurse is a tremendously fulfilling experience that requires equal amounts of giving and taking. In this line of work, employees soon learn to put others before themselves and treat people under their care with the highest compassion.
However, as any nurse will attest, this is a career that typically involves a busy schedule and a significant amount of pressure and stress.
It can be incredibly simple to burn out as a nurse unless you’re an experienced professional who has conquered time management to make every day as fruitful as achievable.
In this article, I will be providing you with 7 helpful time management tips that will help any busy nurse to take a breather.
So, let’s get into it.
7 Time Management Tips For Busy Nurses
The key factor to take into consideration, as a busy, non-stop health worker, is to make the most of your time.
Don’t let any second go to waste, and your day will flow way more smoothly, allowing you to take each moment as it comes.
Below are my 7 tips to help you manage your time that bit more efficiently.
1. Think And Plan Ahead
Any nurse knows that planning a schedule in advance is way easier said than done, since no two shifts are ever the same.
While it can be difficult to predict how any shift is going to pan out, loosely planning your day ahead of time can be really helpful. You can do this by creating a flexible timetable to follow.
By using a timetable, you can take note of the average length of time your everyday tasks take, so you can forecast what will transpire next, and establish a plan around it.
You will, undoubtedly, be interacting with patients and coworkers for the majority of the day.
Therefore, understanding how long administrative or individual activities typically entail can be quite helpful when you need to juggle your schedule while on the move.
2. Turn Up To Work Early
The average nursing shift lasts 12 hours (see also ‘Why Do Nurses Work 12-Hour Shifts?‘), which, during those busy times, can seem like an eternity. As a nurse, you probably make an effort to enjoy your mornings at home before you have to leave for work.
Even while it may seem more convenient to take your time and savor your morning coffee in the comfort of your home, getting to work sooner may make your life a lot simpler.
Make sure to arrive around 20 minutes early, so you will have a little extra time to glance over handover notes and quietly survey your environment before your shift commences.
This will ensure that your shift gets off to a good start. You can even enjoy a coffee in work before your shift starts.
By getting there early, you’ll have ample time to survey your chores and have the chance to more effectively organize your shift.
As a result, you will feel more confident and prepared about the upcoming day!
3. Set Task Priorities
Critical thinking and knowing how to prioritize your time and efforts are key components of time management.
Prioritization is a skill that every nurse should possess, thus there are a few elements to take into account while ranking activities by significance.
What is the most crucial action you should take at that very moment? Which activity is more crucial, and why? What could possibly go wrong if you don’t act right away? And, what matters most to the patient?
You can determine the most crucial tasks in a timely manner by taking a brief moment to pause, and then respond to these questions in your own head.
This will give you more time to decide on your priorities and the best course of action for achieving your objectives.
4. Delegate Your Workload
Knowing your capacity to take on or allocate work is essential for effective time management.
As you’ll probably be working alongside your colleagues, whether they are other nurses, doctors, etc., you should be capable of splitting up the duties so that you may take breaks.
Make absolutely sure you are giving the correct task to the appropriate person in the right setting before any decisions are made.
Making sure the individual performing the task has the necessary knowledge and experience is a key component of effective delegation.
Although it could take some time at first, this approach can ultimately save a lot of time. Being a nurse is being a member of a larger team, and a cohesive team makes life much easier.
5. Maintain Your Organization
When you have a brief moment to yourself, you will want to make sure everything that is within your control is kept maintained.
Maintaining order and cleanliness in storage spaces, finishing any outstanding paperwork, or even just making sure you have a spare pen in your pocket to take notes are all examples of how to do this.
This can boost output and guarantee that your shift is proceeding according to plan.
In addition to decreasing your productivity, leaving paperwork piled up on your desk or equipment lying around after use creates possible safety risks in the workplace.
No matter where you are or what you’re doing, being organized is a skill that will always be useful.
6. Know When To Say ‘No’
Any nurse is well aware that nursing is a demanding profession. It can be really challenging to find the time to do certain duties, much alone get some alone time.
The primary carers for their patients are the nurses, thus you have a lot of duty. But even with the greatest good intentions, you only have one set of hands.
Rome wasn’t constructed in a day, so don’t push yourself too far if you’re having trouble. Rome wasn’t created in a day.
Even while you may believe you can multitask, doing so might actually be detrimental to both you and the patient.
If you’ve already taken on too many responsibilities, get practice saying ‘no’ to specific requests.
7. Don’t Burn Yourself Out
Hospital employment can be demanding, and nurses have a reputation for working themselves to the bone without taking a break.
So, even if you don’t feel as though you require one, you should always take short breaks.
Whether you need to use the restroom, or grab a bite to eat in between activities, taking a few minutes away from the ward provides you time to unwind and collect your thoughts.
It has been demonstrated that taking pauses improves performance and ability to focus, and that your body and brain work best when you give them adequate time to rest before the next surge.
Final Thoughts
Many nurses will work many shifts back-to-back, giving them little time for themselves. To guarantee that you are operating at your peak potential, it is crucial to occasionally prioritize your mental health.
You will never be able to successfully plan out a schedule for a shift as a nurse, but you can try completing these little tasks to make sure you keep on track. Doing this will make your life so much easier!
I hope you found this article helpful.