T IME M ANAGEMENT Adapted from presentation by Claire Lundgren, CNE, RMH Julie Halton, CNE, APU/6SE

Nursing is a demanding and stressful profession, requiring you to be organised yet flexible. Managing your time effectively, knowing when to delegate, and thinking critically are ALL essential for achieving a high standard of patient care

W HAT IS TIME MANAGEMENT ? An act or process of exercising a conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities, especially in respect to increasing efficiency and productivity Key life skill Relevant to life outside of work

W HY DOES IT MATTER ? Increases the amount of time needed to complete set tasks Less activities are completed or even attempted Increases stress/strain on you and your colleagues Decreases available time for new tasks We want to be able to achieve a high standard of care for our patients but even acceptable levels of care are hard to achieve if you dont have enough time

W HY DON T WE ACHIEVE IT ? Lack of knowledge of time management skills Lack of knowledge of organisational skills Not grouping tasks/activities Lack of knowledge about coping with stress Patient emergencies Assisting other staff members Assisting other patients Meetings Handover expectations Documentation

E FFECTS OF POOR TIME MANAGEMENT Increased stress (for everyone!) Missed meal breaks Missed education sessions Overtime Reduced rest time between shifts Potential for increased workload for staff working with you or taking over from you Delays in definitive investigations and treatment for patients Decreased efficiency

H OW DO YOU ACHIEVE IT ? Arrive on time for shift Assess your patients head to toe so there are no surprises later! Determine what tasks are required at the beginning of the shift then regularly catch up with other team members to maintain this task list Collaborate with your patient by identifying their needs, inform them of the plan for their care and ensure good communication from the beginning of your shift Create a care plan & try keeping it updated

H OW DO YOU ACHIEVE IT ? Group activities where possible – reduces time wasted entering the same room/disturbing a patient multiple times for different reasons Delegate tasks where appropriate Dont procrastinate Document as you go – more efficient and decreases errors If unable to complete a task, quickly move on to another one If up to date, catch up with other team members, offer to help, do other non-essential tasks

M OST IMPORTANT OF ALL …. BE PREPARED FOR EACH TASK For example, wound care – Do you have all required dressing and equipment prior to beginning? Have you delegated other patient care while you are busy? Does the patient require analgesia? For example, patient hygiene – do you have towels, soap and change of clothes easily accessible? Do you need extra gait aids? Do you need another set of hands?

W HAT DO I DO NOW ? Practice, practice, practice – unfortunately time management is a learnt skill and you must consciously exercise it Watch another colleague who is great at time management – what do they do? what do they not do? Aim to get a little better every day