There are almost 4 million nurses in the United States.
When people work as nurses, they engage in a job that makes a real difference in people’s lives and in the health of the country. It can be hard, though, to remember to take care of yourself too when you are working a busy job as a nurse.
Are you struggling with time management in your role as a nurse and then your free time? Let’s take a look at how to manage your time sleeping at the most out of it.
1. Arrive Early
When you’re working as a nurse, it can feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once. One of the ways that you can deal with this is by getting into the habit of arriving early for your shifts. This can give you the opportunity to take a look at handover sheets and reports before your shift begins. Can also help you to organize your tasks and sell your mind before the shift starts to get busy.
2. Factor in the Unexpected
When you are a nurse, there are always unexpected occurrences that can happen at any point. Since this is an unpredictable profession, it’s important to remain flexible. When you’re making a schedule for yourself, allow extra time for unexpected situations to crop up.
3. Be Efficient and Don’t Take Shortcuts
Sometimes you can feel so rushed that it seems to make sense to hurry important tasks. In reality, though, the most efficient way to get things done is to do the right the first time instead of taking shortcuts. When you take shortcuts in important tasks you’ll end up paying time out the other end when adverse consequences create extra time spent on the task.
4. Learn How to Delegate
Sometimes you might be working as a part of a team or impairing students or healthcare workers. Learning how to delegate tasks of the proper skill level to the very people around you can help you get as much done as possible. He’ll want to make sure that you’re allocating the right tasks to the right people.
An important part of this process is keeping communication channels open. If you are passing tasks off to other people, you’ll need to make sure that you are receiving all the information that you need to know about the completion of or any complications of the delegated tasks.
5. Practice Mindfulness in Little Moments
Being a nurse is probably one of the most stressful jobs you can have. One of the most important things you can do during your day if you start to feel overwhelmed or even just a little frazzled is to stop and take a breath for a few minutes.
Find a quiet room where you can gather your thoughts and focus on what needs to be accomplished during the rest of your shift. Learning some breathing techniques or meditation techniques can be a helpful way to recenter before rejoining the workday.
It’s also important that you always take your breaks. Sometimes it can feel like there is more to be done than it is possible to do in the day, and you therefore might be tempted to skip your breaks. Actually, though, you’ll be more productive if you allow yourself time to rest and recuperate.
Skipping breaks is the perfect way to burn out. Remember, this is a marathon and not a sprint. When you incorporate breaks and mindfulness techniques into your schedule, you will end up being more productive in the long run.
6. Learn to Say ‘No’
You are a nurse because you love to help people. However, it’s important that you know that sometimes it’s okay to say no. If you are completely overbooked yourself, don’t tell other people that you will take on their extra tasks. Remember, taking care of yourself is the best way that you can help to take care of other people.
7. Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself
At the end of the day, the most important thing is to not be too hard on yourself. You’re working a stressful job and not everything is always going to go as planned. If you don’t get everything accomplished that you plan to in the day, it doesn’t make it any better to beat yourself up about it.
8. Know Where Your Time Goes
Sometimes it can be hard to even know where your time goes when you aren’t keeping track of it. With time tracking apps like actiTIME, you can manage and monitor your time without any extra effort as well as take a look at reports of your team performance and more. If you feel like the day ends and you’re not quite sure where all the time went, this is a great tool for you.
they want to see in their timesheets
How to Manage Your Time: It’s In Your Hands!
Time management is an important skill to master. While people in jobs that are less hectic might have an easier time blocking out their schedule and getting all of the necessary tasks done during the day, being a nurse is fundamentally unpredictable. For this reason, it’s even more important to be organized, flexible, and motivated to work as efficiently as possible.
Remember, every step you take towards organization and time management as a nurse improve your performance. Never be too hard on yourself and remember that you are providing a vital and honorable service.
Is it time for you to figure out how to manage your time better and revolutionize your life? Start your free online trial of actiTIME today!
