Skip to main content

Time management tips for busy nurse managers

As a nurse manager, you have a lot on your plate, and it can be overwhelming to manage your time effectively. However, by prioritising tasks, delegating responsibilities, setting realistic goals, and taking breaks, you can ensure that your unit runs smoothly and your patients receive the best possible care. Here are some additional tips to help you manage your time:

  1. Schedule your day: Creating a schedule can help you stay on track and ensure that you have enough time to complete all of your tasks. Block out time for important tasks and try to stick to your schedule as much as possible.
  2. Avoid multitasking: While it may seem like multitasking is an efficient way to get things done, it can actually be counterproductive. Instead, focus on one task at a time and give it your full attention.
  3. Communicate effectively: Clear communication with your team can help ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals. This can help avoid misunderstandings and save time in the long run.
  4. Learn to say no: As a nurse manager, you may be asked to take on additional tasks or responsibilities. However, it's important to know your limits and be willing to say no when necessary. This can help you avoid overcommitting and ensure that you have enough time to focus on your core responsibilities.

By following these additional tips, you can manage your time effectively and ensure that you are providing the best possible care for your patients.

For more information check out my video https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cCfRC6hwtoE

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Nothing like a break ... reminder that we need to manage our energy levels not our time

I suspect I am not the only person currently or soon to be on a break or holiday from working as we enter the month of August. Acknowledging my natural need to be 'always doing' I do have moments where I enjoy doing nothing productive or nothing productive as I would have previously thought. I have had to learn to relax and find ways to renew my energy levels. I have spent years working without ever giving a seconds thought to my energy levels or the impact of low energy on my ability to work effectively. I wonder how many of us stress and constantly try to manage our time ? And yet as was so well identified by Tony Schwartz  ' the core problem with working longer hours is that time is a finite resource. Energy is a different story ' and of course Tony was right ... you can't save or store time ... or indeed out run it ! What we need to do is ensure we manage our ENERGY and build up energy reserves to sustain us. This requires a complete change of thinking and I hav...

Thinking about teams ....

  Today's walk was the first where a coat was necessary for a long time ... with a storm at my back I headed back along my familiar road and was reflecting on the common theme that featured with a number of those I had been coaching this week. Team performance and how to 'get' teams to function effectively was the key challenge facing people this week .... I don't know why but a return to 'office working' or implementing hybrid models of working is my suspicion.  When thinking about and discussion team working I frequently go back to my preferred definition of a team by Katzenbach and Smith (1993)  A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, set of performance goals, and approach for which they  hold themselves mutually accountable While one of many definitions of teams, this is my preferred - mainly because it reminds me of how seldom I have actually being part of or led a team or teams that fully meet th...

Home before dark

I hadn't intended on doing anything this evening but found myself and Ted the Maltese going for a walk. Ted was restless all evening and I remembered that before leaving the house this morning I promised him we would go for a walk when I got home - he didn't forget, unlike me ! As we walked along, I thought about how I found the motivation to deliver on my promise to a small white dog much more easily than any promise to myself to continue with my daily exercise routine …  As we turned to make the return walk home before it got dark - I looked along the road and couldn't help but see how the long road is such a popular reference to our lives … clearly not enough unexpected twists and turns in this road to reflect true life! I completed a programme of coaching with a client this evening and I used the remainder of my walk to reflect on the meetings we had and the close out of this particular engagement. My coachee was positive about the work we had done - and yet I am always...