Denver College of Nursing teaches holistic healthcare values along with traditional healthcare values in our nursing programs so that students can explore how whole-body wellness affects a person’s quality of life. This approach prepares students for roles in nursing leadership, administration, and clinical practice.
As a nurse, taking care of your patients is your main focus. When you take time to improve your own quality of life — including through your on-the-job activities — you can better help others. During a nursing shift, you will care for patients and handle administrative tasks such as updating patients’ records, submitting paperwork, and restocking supplies. By understanding the importance of good time management skills in nursing, you can contribute to your personal well-being.
The Importance of Time Management Skills in Nursing
A clinical trial report published in Acute and Critical Care in 2022 describes an educational intervention focused on time management that was provided to a group of nurses. Not only did the nurses’ overall understanding of time management improve by the end of the workshop-style intervention, their performance improved as well. The nurses who participated in the intervention were better able to anticipate the time they needed to perform tasks, and they were much better equipped to prioritize their tasks throughout the day.
Learning more about time management in nursing and applying those newfound skills to your personal and professional life can make you more efficient and give you more time to do the things you love.
Tips for Time Management in Nursing
While no two days will ever be the same, setting up organizational systems can help you get it all done. Here are a few tips for implementing time management in nursing.
1. Arrive Early
Spend a few minutes before your shift getting set up and ready for work. Making sure you have what you need can save you a trip to the supply closet later on. Check in with the nurses who are about to leave so you are up to speed on what’s happening on the floor. When your shift starts, you’ll be ready to go. Good time management in nursing involves being punctual and planning your day ahead of time.
2. Prioritize Your Time
Learn which tasks are critical and which ones can be a slightly lower priority. To prioritize the items on your to-do list, ask yourself these questions:
- What should I do first, and why?
- What is most important to my patients?
- If I don’t do this task now, what is the worst thing that could happen?
Obviously, your patients’ needs are the primary factor when creating your priority list. But if you are unsure about what to do after focusing on patient care, ask your supervisor for guidance. Effective time management in nursing requires practice. Once you master it, though, it can revolutionize the way you work and lead to your providing better overall patient care.
3. Take Breaks When You Can
One thing you can predict about your nursing shift is that it will be unpredictable. You never know when — or if — you will get a break. When you have some downtime, grab a snack or some water. You will feel better and be less likely to experience burnout if you’re hydrated and not hungry, even if your “break” comes while you’re updating charts and performing other documentation tasks.
4. Be Proactive
Another good way to practice time management in nursing is to anticipate your patients’ needs. If things are slow, check in with the patients on your floor to see how they are doing and if they need anything. By addressing their needs during a quiet period, you reduce the risk of someone needing you while you’re handling an urgent situation in another room.
5. Plan Ahead
Many nurses find that planning an entire week ahead of time — including the tasks in both their personal and professional lives — helps them manage their time more productively. Whether you use a digital tool such as Google Calendar or you prefer a paper planner, writing down what you need to do for the week can serve as a framework for the days ahead. Be sure to give yourself some buffer time between tasks as well. Unexpected events can happen at work, at home, and anywhere in between, so allow some time for these occurrences in advance. And don’t forget to schedule yourself some downtime. When you see it approaching on the calendar, it can provide a much-needed respite from the chaos of daily life.
6. Create Routines
While you can’t always control what will happen during your shift, you can set up systems that you can repeat to become more efficient. Spending Sunday afternoons or evenings planning the week ahead is a great routine. Executing repetitive tasks in a certain sequence can also help. Perhaps you can start every morning by making your bed, and you can end every evening by closing your drapes. The more you practice your routine, the more it will help you make sure you don’t overlook something important.
7. Review and Assess Frequently
No matter how hard you try to stick to your routine and your calendar, life has a way of surprising you. When the unexpected happens, open your calendar and reassess your plans. Maybe you wanted to give a specific patient a little extra time today, but something else came up that demanded your immediate attention. Check your calendar and see if there are any low-priority tasks that you can push out to make room for the higher priorities.
Learn How Implementing Effective Time Management in Nursing Can Change Your Life
Denver College of Nursing ensures that essential nursing skills such as time management are at the core of all of our nursing programs. Whether you are considering a Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), RN to BSN, or Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program, learning how to manage your time is one of the keys to your success. Find out more about how this holistic approach to education and nursing can change your life.
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