Time Management in Nursing: Explained

What is Time Management in Nursing?

Time management is known as one’s ability to use time efficiently and productively. Time management in nursing involves implementing and managing functions such as organization and control of time by planning daily tasks and completing them within a specific timeframe. Time management is a skill that is learned and honed with continual practice. When you learn effective time management skills, you will find they benefit everyone, including patients, nurses, and other healthcare team members.

Importance of Time Management in Nursing:

1. Improves patient outcomes

One of the main reasons time management skills in nursing are so important is they promote better patient outcomes. When nurses manage time wisely, patient care is prioritized by need, making it possible for the most pressing needs to be addressed first. Wait times for care are reduced, which also helps prevent worsening of symptoms.

2.Reduces stress and burnout

Managing time efficiently helps reduce stress and anxiety. When you implement time management skills in nursing, you plan your time, set deadlines, and meet those deadlines. By managing your time wisely, you can reduce feelings of being overwhelmed or anxious, which can positively impact your professional and personal life. When you are less stressed, it makes your job more enjoyable, resulting in a happier work experience.

3.Enhances productivity

Utilizing good time management helps promote productivity. When you implement time management skills into your daily work, you are more likely to maintain focus and complete tasks rather than become easily distracted and leave work unattended or incomplete. The end result is greater productivity and a sense of accomplishment.

4.Take Regular Breaks

Taking regular breaks and allowing for downtime is crucial for nurses to recharge and maintain their well-being. While caring for some patients requires continuous attention, finding moments for self-care is essential. Short breaks can help nurses relieve stress, regain focus, and prevent mental and physical exhaustion. Nurses should strive to create a work environment that encourages and supports these breaks.

5.Support teamwork and collaboration

Nurses should not hesitate to seek support and take advantage of available resources. Building a network of colleagues, mentors, or support groups can provide valuable guidance, understanding, and advice. Additionally, accessing counseling services, employee assistance programs, or professional development opportunities can further support nurses in managing their time effectively and maintaining work-life balance.

Time Management Principles:

1. Prioritize tasks (Must-Do, Should-Do, Could-Do)
2. Set clear goals and objectives
3. Use a schedule/planner
4. Manage distractions (e.g., minimize interruptions)
5. Delegate tasks (when possible)
6. Take regular breaks
7. Review and adjust schedule as needed

How to Improve Time Management in Nursing?

1.Be On Time for Work:

• The most important step you can take in implementing time management in nursing is to be on time for work. In fact, it is recommend arriving for work at least 15 minutes before your shift is scheduled to begin.
• Most hospitals and nursing homes have end-of-shift reports, where the nurses coming onto their shifts will get reports from nurses leaving their shifts. Arriving at work early means you will be there for this valuable report so you can learn about any changes that occurred with patients during the previous shifts or other pertinent information you need to know to carry out your duties.

2.Get Organized

•  One of the first steps in developing time management skills in nursing is to get organized. Getting organized involves everything from preparing yourself for work the night before your shift to arriving early for the start of your shift, completing a pre-shift review of patients, and prioritizing the order of tasks you need to accomplish.
•  By taking the time to get organized, you have more control over your schedule. You know what needs to be done and can determine when to do it. While there may be times when your schedule is disrupted due to a patient emergency or other unforeseen event, being organized helps you get back on track more easily.

3.Prioritize Tasks

•  Prioritizing your most acute patients is the most appropriate approach to take because acute patients typically require more specialized care. I recommend seeing the most acute patients yourself and delegating non-acute patients to appropriate support staff when possible. Remember, at the end of the day, any tasks you delegate are still your responsibility. So, carefully follow up with any employee to whom you delegate a task to ensure it was completed correctly and documented.

4.Delegate Tasks When Appropriate

•  A simple yet practical way to manage time wisely in nursing is to delegate tasks to appropriate staff or support personnel. As a registered nurse, you may delegate tasks such as medication administration and wound dressing changes to a licensed practical nurse or a nursing Assistant who is competent to perform.
•  Delegation is one of the best time management skills in nursing because it encourages teamwork and allows several patient care tasks to be completed simultaneously. Further, nursing shortages and complexities in patient health requiring more hands-on care are a few reasons delegation is useful. When care teams work together to accomplish patient goals, patient outcomes also improve.

5.Use Time-Management Apps

•  We live in a world of ever-changing technology. With apps at our fingertips to create calendars, reminders, and detailed schedules, it is easier now than ever to manage time wisely with less effort.
•  Even the simplest efforts to manage time can have a great impact on how well your workday flows. Utilizing common tools such as time-management apps can help you stay on track so that you accomplish tasks on time, which means less stress and frustration at work, better patient satisfaction, and improved patient and organizational outcomes.

 6.Utilize Teamwork

• Each team member of your nursing team has skills they can contribute to accomplishing tasks. In Nursing the effective way to save time is to utilize teamwork
•  Utilizing the skills and abilities of team members means you can accomplish tasks faster and more efficiently. When work is completed efficiently, patient, professional, and organizational outcomes are improved.

7.Establish a Routine

•  Another excellent time management strategy in nursing is to establish a daily routine. However, establishing a routine is still a great way to know what you need to do and when, and it helps you get back on schedule when the unexpected occurs.
•  By establishing a routine, you reserve a time to begin each task, which helps you stay on track. An established routine allows you to determine a specific amount of time to dedicate to each task. When you schedule your work by establishing a routine, you spend less time and mental energy trying to figure out where to go or what to do next and become more accountable for the time you spend at work.

8.Avoid Multitasking

•  While the ability to multitask comes in handy at times, improving time management skills for nurses requires knowing when to multitask and when to avoid it. Multitasking involves trying to handle several tasks at the same time, which can be stressful. Often, it leads to limited productivity and decreased creativity.
•  If you avoid multitasking, you can concentrate on one project or task at a time. By focusing on individual tasks, it is easier to ensure work is completed efficiently and in a timely manner.

9.Complete the Most Difficult Tasks First

•  It is normal to want to avoid difficult tasks. Whether it is the simple lack of motivation or the dread of tackling difficult jobs, many people tend to focus on easier jobs before addressing challenging tasks. One of the best ways to implement good time management strategies in nursing, however, is to complete the most difficult tasks first.
•  It is helpful to complete difficult tasks first because the earlier it is in your workday, the more likely you are to have more energy and focus. By tackling the challenging jobs, the ones that you prefer not to do, you get the hard stuff out of the way. Then, you can move on to smaller, less difficult tasks to complete your day.

ANA Recommended Tips for Effective Time Management

• Identify your most important tasks and create a plan. Any nursing to-do list begins by evaluating and addressing the hierarchy of needs for your patients. That includes ensuring their core physiological needs get met before progressing to additional treatment. Basing care on this tiered system allows you to meet your patients’ needs in real-time and prioritize decisions accordingly.
• Delegate where and when you can. Delegation fosters team cohesion. The tasks you can reassign will depend on your state’s laws and a patient’s condition. Knowing what’s permitted upfront can free up precious time for more urgent matters.
• Say no to multitasking. As tempting as it can be to address multiple things at once, research shows that multitasking is unproductive, contrary to common-sense expectations. That’s because dividing your attention drains your cognitive resources and slows you down. Aim to intentionally “monotask” by carving out designated time for items on your to-do list. 
• Tune out distractions while trying to accomplish tasks. Interruptions are inevitable as a nurse, but if you’re focused on an essential chore, politely tell colleagues not to bother you unless it’s a pressing matter. That may necessitate innovative workplace changes, such as creating a red-taped “no interruption” zone.
• Take care of lower-priority items during quiet periods. Proactively ticking items off prepares you to react quickly to emergencies that demand your full attention.

Barriers to Effective Time Management:

1. Interruptions and distractions
2. Inadequate staffing
3. Complex patient needs
4. Paperwork and documentation
5. Meetings and training sessions
6. Technology issues
7. Personal stress and fatigue

Overcoming Barriers:

1. Communicate with team and leadership
2. Develop effective communication skills
3. Use time-management tools (e.g., apps, planners)
4. Prioritize self-care and stress management
5. Seek support and resources
6. Stay organized and flexible
7. Continuously evaluate and improve time management skills

REFERENCES

1. American Nurses Association (ANA) Time Management Guidelines
2.  Darby Faubion ,What is Time Management in Nursing? Retrieved from Nursingprocess.org
3. Time Management Tips for Nurses, Retrieved from https://online.marymount.edu/blog/time-management-in-nursing
4. Vizeshfar F, Rakhshan M, Shirazi F, Dokoohaki R. The effect of time management education on critical care nurses’ prioritization: a randomized clinical trial. Acute Crit Care. 2022 May;37(2):202-208. doi: 10.4266/acc.2021.01123. Epub 2022 Apr 28. PMID: 35545237; PMCID: PMC9184972.
5. Leis SJ, Anderson A. Time Management Strategies for New Nurses. Am J Nurs. 2020 Dec;120(12):63-66. doi: 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000724260.01363.a3. PMID: 33214377.

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