12 ways to enhance your time efficiency

With the hustle and bustle of the vacations behind us and the beginning of a brand new 12 months, I began to look deep inside and take into consideration how I could make 2020 a greater 12 months. What I’ve learned about myself, and what a lot of you nurses can definitely attest to, is that I attempt to do an excessive amount of, too fast. I feel I can do all of it…work, house, kids, etc., but I feel like I’m not doing a GREAT job of it – I’m just “getting by.” So, after reflection, a lot of coffee, research and good conversations with my friend, I set myself a private and skilled goal for 2020:

A fast Google seek for the subject of time management will fill your screen with self-help sites, blogs, personal retreat information, and every kind of definitions. My already overwhelmed mental state quickly became overloaded with information overload; nonetheless, something caught my attention and appeared to really resonate with my mind and heart. We all know that we’d like to oversee our time higher, however the predominant missing element is the struggle to benefit from it.

Time management might be defined because the technique of consciously controlling the time spent on specific activities. It involves juggling the varied demands of labor, family, social life, hobbies, commitments, etc. Many of those activities we do not really have direct control over, which limits our time management decisions. If I even have a shift at work, I simply cannot select higher time management while doing overflowing laundry at home. I even have control over how effectively I exploit my time. It is time efficiency that provides us the chance to make higher use of our time!

Working in healthcare, nurses are the primary to know and understand that a day can change within the blink of a watch! This continuously changing schedule is usually a big stressor on the subject of managing your time in the course of the workday. Nurses are unique in that we must remain calm and composed during hectic and even terrifying moments, yet at the identical time should be flexible and quickly in a position to refocus on priority tasks. Learning to ascertain clinical priorities is a difficult skill to develop and apparently doesn’t occur overnight (which is why it’s a significant NCLEX topic). This is certainly one of the largest challenges a brand new (and even experienced) nurse faces. It takes time and (awareness and understanding of your personal thought processes).

There is not any one-size-fits-all time management style that works for everybody, but listed here are some strategies nurses especially can use to assist manage their time and grow to be simpler:

1. Awareness – come to work earlier, settle in.
2. Organize – so easy and yet so difficult; plan your day.
3. Set priorities – create lists!
4. Communicate effectively – with colleagues, patients and family.
5. Delegate – teamwork is crucial; you haven’t got to do all this.
6. Technology – use electronic medical records (EMR).
7. Multitasking – you recognize what and when.
8. Anticipate – and plan ahead.
9. Minimize wasting time – do not be fooled; don’t delay.
10. Educate – be a student perpetually, continue learning.
11. Take breaks – clear your mind, handle yourself, discover a stress reliever.
12. See the nice – give attention to the positives.

Time management is a skill that each recent nurse must learn, and each experienced nurse must brush up on their skills! The advantages will increase productivity, improve efficiency, reduce stress and burnout, and even help with work-life balance.

A brand new 12 months has begun, a time of recent beginnings. I hope that 2020 shall be the 12 months I manage my time higher at work and at home. I encourage you to try a few of these strategies in your life. Time is free and priceless; let’s benefit from it!

Nayak, S. (2018). Time management in nursing – the hour of need. (3), 1997-2000.