Time Management Tips for Nurses in School
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By Melissa Mills, RN, BSN, CCM, MHA, Contributor
Are you in school advancing your education and working as a nurse? If so, you may be wondering why there are only 24 hours in a day. You need more time and with that comes time management skills.
Time management for nurses is essential, but doesn’t always come naturally. However, with intention, practice, and these five time management tips, you can successfully work and continue your education with ease.
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5 Time Management Tips for Busy Nurses
1. Keep a Schedule
Work-life balance will be very important to you while you are in school. To achieve it, work with your nurse manager to create a schedule that provides time for studying and family. You will need to learn to cope with the challenges of shift work while balancing school and assignments.
Schedule classes together when possible. Once you find a schedule that works, stick with it. Finding a daily rhythm that works for you is one of the most valuable time management skills.
2. Prioritize
According to Sanford Brown College, prioritization is the most beneficial time management tool for nurses. When you’re balancing a job and attending school, you must prioritize.
Prioritize tasks. Creating categories will help you focus on important tasks. At the end of the day, create a new list and move tasks up the prioritization list depending on deadlines.
3. Take Advantage of Technology
Utica College includes technology recommendations in their time management tips for nursing students.
As a student, you will take lots of notes. Utica recommends the Evernote app for recording, organizing, and storing lecture information. Evernote is cloud-based and is compatible with almost every computer, tablet, or phone.
Flashcards increase success on tests, but who has time to sit down and create flashcards? Utica recommends using the Quizlet app for flashcard needs.
With Quizlet, you can create flashcards on almost any device quickly and easily. You can use the information you put into Evernote to build content for your flashcards. Quizlet also allows you to share your flashcards with other Quizlet users.
4. Limit Time on Social Media
Watching videos or perusing the latest dog photos from the relatives can be fun, but it's a huge distraction. Limit your time on social media networks and only log in after all your work is complete.
5. Learn to Say No
You may be feeling stretched thin. Don’t make it worse by over-committing to extra shifts or other tasks. Busy nurses must promote their own wellness. Learning to say no is an essential time management skill.
You are busy, but the journey through school will be worth it. Time management for nurses can be hard. Hang in there. Put these five time management skills to work in your daily life and get ready to see the results.