5 Fast and Easy Tips to Improve Time Management in Nursing

• As another variant surge of the COVID-19 virus continues to severely impact healthcare facilities, it is apparent that nurses are being spread thinner than they have ever been before. 
• The nursing burnout crisis is leading to significantly low staffing ratios, leaving more patients with fewer nurses to care for them. 
• Are you interested in learning how you can improve your time management in practice? We know you’re busy, so here are five quick tips! 

As another variant surge of the COVID-19 virus continues to severely impact healthcare facilities, it is apparent that nurses are being spread thinner than they have ever been before; resulting in a burnout crisis.

The nursing burnout crisis is leading to significantly low staffing ratios, leaving more patients with fewer nurses to care for them.  

Not only is this a problem for the facility, but for the patients, too.  

Although time management in nursing has always been important, it may be more so now than ever.  

Are you interested in learning how you can improve your time management in practice?  

We know you’re busy, so here’s five quick tips!

1. Clustering Care

Although the current circumstances of the pandemic are unpredictable, it is evident that nurse-to-patient ratios are off.  

Karen Lasater, a member of the University of Pennslyvania’s School of Nursing’s Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research Department, reveals staffing ratio data from both an Illinois and New York healthcare facility during one of the initial COVID-19 peaks. The data showcases that med-surg nurses in these facilities were seeing anywhere from 3 to almost 10 patients. 

Prior to the pandemic, the national average was 1 to 5.  

Of course, this is a scenario that no nurse wants, but in the environment we now live in, must expect. 

Clustering care is one of the top tips for time management in nursing, especially when there are far more patients than available nursing staff on the floor.  

There are several moving parts that come with being a nurse, such as checking vital signs, toileting, medication administration, and turning a patient – when clustering care, all of these tasks are completed simultaneously rather than individually.  

Sure, it’s more time spent at once with the patient, however, it makes for fewer interruptions in the future and allows the patient to rest. 

2. Using a Planner to Map Out  Responsibilities & Obligations

Whether it’s for keeping track of this week’s shifts, upcoming meetings or trainings, extracurriculars, or chores, etc. Using a planner is a great way for nurses to manage their time outside of work. 

Ohio University covers the importance of a healthy work-life balance and how it can actively combat feelings of burnout.  

Beyond this, there are so many benefits to writing and planning out a day, week, or month. 

Of course, this tip might not be for everyone, and that’s okay, too! Setting reminders on a phone or Amazon Alexa system are also helpful ways to stay on top of time management in nursing.  

However, if a planner sounds interesting, our guide to the best nursing planners highlights just a few of our nurse-approved favorites!

3. Organization and Prioritization  

This is the key to time management in nursing!  

With the pandemic causing both staffing and patient chaos within facilities, it might be a difficult task to stay completely organized, however, even a little is better than none at all.  

The Fresh RN, Kati Kleber, outlines how a nurse can do their best to stay organized even amidst the craziest times, check them out: 

1. Do a quick pre-report chart review 
2. Set up report sheets the same way 
3. Review patient’s chart before seeing them 
4. Plan the day 
5. Keep pockets organized 

Branching off this idea is prioritization.  

Now more than ever, it is vital that nurses utilize the best practices in client prioritization so that the most critical patient’s needs are met first. 

Remembering the nursing ABCs is always step one in patient prioritization: airway, breathing, and circulation. Once this has been determined, SimpleNursing highlights a few key factors a nurse should look for: 

• Mental status 
• Safety 
• Sepsis and ABGs 
• Heart and lung lab values 
• Pain
• Diagnosis (mostly in post-operative settings) 

Serving more critical patients before tending to those who are stable is one of the most important factors of effective time management in nursing.  

Hospital administrators might have policies and procedures in place for nursing staff to follow in terms of patient prioritization; however, this will vary. 

4. Taking a Break    

This is one is much easier said than done, especially in the climate that healthcare is currently in.  

However, the fast-paced, physically demanding work of a nurse is tolling and can lead to significant errors caused by lack of focus or exhaustion.  

Despite the common trend of nurses not taking breaks, medical intensive care unit (MICU) nurse, Katrina Emery, began the Restorative Break Initiative to advocate for nurses getting the breaks that they deserve. 

“Helping each other is part of our nursing culture. That’s why as part of a requirement to receive my doctor of nursing practice, I wanted to complete a project that would help nurses build resiliency and avoid burnout,” she said. 

When evaluating the effects of overworked nurses, it becomes a patient safety risk. 

Although at times it may feel selfish, nurses have a right to take their breaks and if there is coverage, they should be able to take them guilt-free.

5. Removing Potential Distractions     

With the prevalence in possession of smartphones and smart watches, it is evident that at times, they can become distracting.  

To effectively master time management in nursing, small distractions should be removed if it is going to take away time with a patient.  

Some facilities may have policies in place that pertain to distracting items (phones, watches, etc.) so it is the responsibility of the nurse to ensure that these guidelines are followed.

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