6 Easy to Apply Time Management Tips for Nurses
Your nursing career could be intense, demanding your focused attention during long, tough shifts. Sometimes, life becomes unmanageable when multiple things happen at a single point of time, such as the ringing of the telephone, consultant’s need to accompany you on the ward round, and a patient asking for your help occurring simultaneously. How could you handle all this? As a newbie nurse, your work on the hectic ward is bound to feel somehow overwhelming. However, I have come up with 6 easy yet practical tips to help you get done more with less time:
1. Reach Your Ward Early
Arrive just a few minutes early before your reporting time so that you can read through your assignments, reports, and sheets, settle your mind, organize your tasks and activities, and get ready to begin your great workday before the hustle and bustle of the shift ahead.
2. Make notes
There is no particular rule to make notes. Always keep a notepad and pen in your scrub top or lab coat to have easy access to them whenever you need. Note down office assignments, key points from medical reports of your patients, patients’ names who you are serving, a list of things to be done today, learning points, etc. in your notepad. It will make things clear for you, improve your focus, and help you perform effectively and efficiently.
3. Time Estimation
Estimate how long a task would consume your time, and add the estimation next to each task. It will help you spend your time wisely. Moreover, it will prevent you from giving too much time on a single task while neglecting the other.
4. Prioritization
Make a list of tasks that you are to undertake in a day. What requires to be done first? What things are urgent? Which tasks do you need to work upon before getting on with other things? What would be the consequence if a work couldn’t be performed immediately? And then prioritize them according to their importance and urgency such that number 1 task being the most urgent.
5. Avoid things not mentioned in your work list
Things which are not really important at your workplace, such as taking long chats, watching television, and gossiping in the corridor with your colleagues will result in procrastination and loss of productivity. Therefore, learn to say no to things that affect your functionality and performance.
6. Be flexible
Working environment, especially in a medical setting, is often unpredictable and therefore your priorities may change very quickly. Consequently, learn to be flexible and respond accordingly to the things going on around you. Hence, refresh and reassess your to-do list daily and as your shift continues.
Conclusion
Nursing ward is often hectic with every nurse being busy with their patients. However, nurses who know how to manage their time, enjoy their work. You can also make the most of your day by reaching your workplace a few minutes early before your reporting time, making regular notes and estimation for every task, prioritizing each assignment according to its urgency, avoiding things not really important, and always being flexible throughout the workday.
Mool Manoj Khatri is a public speaker and blogger who has been writing content on diverse niche from innovation in technology to life management skills.
