12 Time Management Tips Every Nurse Should Know

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time management tips for nurses

A nurse’s job isn’t as easy as what most people think. In addition to administering medications, assisting patients during ambulation, and performing routine assessments and procedures within their shift, they also have to finish the chores they left at home and attend to their families’ needs. With all the things they have to do, it’s easy to feel burnt out.

If you are feeling overwhelmed with work and the things you need to do at home, here are some of the most effective time management tips for nurses you’ll find useful.

1Arrive early

An 8-12 hour work shift can sound too long for other people in regular jobs. For nurses, however, it may still not be enough especially with the number of patients you have to handle and all the accompanying tasks that need doing.

To make sure you don’t get home later than you’re supposed to because of these tasks, try to arrive 20 to 30 minutes earlier than your shift. You can use this time to go over your patients’ charts and prepare your plan of care. Having an overview of your tasks gives you the chance to plan your shift properly.

2Set priorities

Once you have an idea of what needs to be done, it’s time to set your priorities. Prioritization is a must-have skill for every nurse and it’s also one of the most challenging skills to master.
When setting your priorities, find out the most urgent and important tasks. Several medical conditions vary in complexity so make sure you do your assessment properly.

One parameter you can use is the consequences of the tasks, should you fail to perform them right away. Changing your patient’s IV, for example, should be carried out first before draining his urine bag to avoid blood clots and embolism.

3Estimate how long it will take to finish a task

Apart from prioritization, you should also have an idea of how much time you need to spend per task. One of the most common reasons nurses fail to complete everything they have to do in a single shift is the overconfidence in their ability.

Remember, there are several things that can happen within a 12-hour shift. There will be doctors making their rounds, patients hitting their call bells and relatives making inquiries. Be sure to set up some allowance in between tasks to accommodate them.

4Avoid tasks that aren’t in your list

If something is not on your list, it’s probably not there for a reason. Sending emails and text messages, and chatting with your colleagues can take up a lot of your time even if you only thought to do it for 5 minutes. Don’t fall prey to this type of reasoning and remain focused on your list unless your patients’ well-being and safety demand it.

5Learn to say no

Nurses are their patients’ primary care givers. This, however, doesn’t mean that you have to attend to all their needs at the same time. Multitasking, although it sounds helpful, can actually be detrimental both for you and your patient.

If a patient comes up to you with a non-urgent request, learn how to politely decline for the moment and offer to see him later after you’re done with your urgent tasks. This goes the same for colleagues asking for help. If you know that the request isn’t urgent, learn how to say no without making your co-workers feel bad.

6Listen

Having a busy shift can make it easy for you to oversee things. As much as possible, don’t assume that every patient who will be reaching out to you will have a petty request. Their priorities can differ from yours, so make sure you still pay attention to what they have to say.

See Also: Don’t Say That, Say This: 7 Examples Of Better Bedside Manners For Nurses

7Take a break

Even if you don’t think you need a break, take one. Your body and mind still need to take a breather, especially with how hospital work can be stressful. Take the time to collect your thoughts, drink water, and take a bathroom break if needed.

Eat your meals on time, too. Your brain and body can only function at their best if you have enough energy. If eating a proper meal isn’t feasible, try snacking on some homemade energy bars, fruits, or sandwiches.

8Know flexibility

If you work in the ward, you’ll know how unpredictable the setup can be. Because of this environment, you need to know how to refresh your priorities once in a while especially if there’ll be newly admitted patients that need urgent attention and care.

9Be organized

Don’t let papers pile up at your table and avoid letting equipment lie around when not in use. Keeping your work space organized and clutter-free can help you stay productive throughout your shift. It can also help avoid work hazards.

10Keep notes

Keeping mental notes of your task is acceptable. However, to ensure that you won’t miss out any important details, make it a habit to write things down. You can write all of your patients’ name on a paper along with the associated tasks you need to accomplish per person. If that isn’t your thing, you can simply create a to-do list and tick each box as you accomplish it. Keep the notebook easily accessible, like inside your uniform’s pocket. You can use the same thing in writing down laboratory values or important pieces of information from doctors.

See Also: 10 Cute And Funny Notepads Every Nurse Must Have 

11Learn how to delegate

Nurses are part of a health care team. You aren’t supposed to do all things by yourself. There are LPNs and NAs that can help you accomplish more things during the shift.

When delegating, make sure that you are assigning the right task to the right person under the right circumstance. There should be continuous communication as well as instructions to avoid errors.

12Don’t take things too hard

Time management is a skill that can’t be learned overnight. If you fail at your first attempt, don’t feel too stressed about it. There’s always the next day to hone your time management skills even more.

For additional tips on time management, here’s a really interesting video you should check out:

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