Time management skills are crucial to both nursing students and nurses. Think you don’t have enough T I M E to get everything done? Well here are 5 Time Management Strategies: Nursing School edition that helped me balance between school, work, and a social life.
Nursing school can be tough to get by considering all the hard exams, all-nighters, and long clinical hours involved. However, we’re all heading towards a great, rewarding, and fulfilling career. As nurses, we will be required to demonstrate time management skills on the job. Therefore, planning and setting priorities during school time is a step in the right direction.
With proper management of time, nurses are able to meet the demands of their job. While working, there will be many responsibilities and tasks to complete as a nurse. It is important that nurses know how to adapt and prioritize on the spot when life-saving decisions need to be made.
Continue reading for the best 5 Time Management Strategies: Nursing School edition
You can also check out: 5 Successful Tips to balance work and nursing school
1. Use a Planner
Get yourself a planner, giant calendar, or a digital planning tool to make note of all your due dates, exam dates, work dates, and miscellaneous activities. A monthly spread is a great way to plan ahead for your goals. Then break it down into weekly and daily tasks to achieve those goals so you don’t feel overwhelmed.
Set priority dates for important exams and allow enough study time before the actual date. Any assignments that are worth higher percentages or are due soon should be started earlier and completed in at least a week in advance. You can also write down the specific time and date you want your tasks to be completed by, but stick to the written date!
I love being able to write down everything weekly and checking them off as I complete each task. Using a monthly planner helps me see how much time I actually have left to finish/study and when I can relax or procrastinate.
2. Avoid Multi-Tasking
Believe it or not but multi-tasking can slow down your brain and productivity. Your brain can only focus on one thing at a time, so refrain from completing multiple tasks at once. You may be short on time but juggling different tasks reduces performance. To keep your brain productive, it is best to focus on completing tasks one at a time.
To avoid multi-tasking, start by creating a to-do list and eliminating any distractions. You can turn off your phone and keep it in a separate room. Using the app self-control (for Mac) allows you to block distracting websites for free.
3. Go to Bed Early
Students, don’t overwork yourself! Especially if you have to be up early the next day. You’ll feel 10x more tired and cranky if you stay up late. It is important to get between 7-9 hours of quality sleep so you can get back to studying and/or working.
Rest is super important for the brain and overall body function. We can’t always depend on caffeine to keep us alert and oriented. You will feel way more refreshed and mentally prepared for the school day if you sleep before 12 am. So instead of cramming overnight hours for the upcoming exam, you’re better off with those extra quality hours of sleep. Your brain will retain the information better than last minute studying anyway.
If you struggle sleeping early and/or have irregular sleeping patterns, there are many ways to help you get a good night’s rest. Check out this blog post for fixing your sleeping habit.
4. Give Yourself Breaks
Don’t we all love break time more than the actual studying time?.
With all our efforts into academics, we need proper study breaks. These breaks help maintain our top study performance and productivity. Breaks can also increase focus, reduce stress, and help students better retain information.
Be kind to yourself and don’t force yourself to study when you’re tired. On a quick break, go outside for some vitamin D or get yourself some healthy snacks.
A general rule for every hour of studying = 15-20 minutes of break. I tend to go by every 50 minutes = 10 minutes of break. Studying time intervals vary based on every student.
5. Self-Care Time
Self-care is often forgotten when time managing. We get so wrapped up around all the exams, assignments, labs, clinicals, etc, that we may forget to take care of ourselves. Some of us have high expectations to get good/high grades on exams/assignments and to maintain it for every class. Grades matter, but self-care is just as important. Taking 1-2 hours each day for yourself is a necessity.
How can you be responsible to take care of 1+ patients on your own if you can’t take care of yourself? As we continue into this amazing profession, we have to continue doing other activities we love and enjoy. Maintaining a healthy balance between academics and down-time requires good time management skills.
From the planning phase, self-care time should be scheduled daily. Practicing self-care can come in many forms. So take a deep breath and focus on maintaining a healthy relationship with yourself so you can transmit the good feelings to others.
As students and nurses, we learn new time-management skills along the way. We learn new ways to let go of old habits and make room for new opportunities. As this list comes to an end, focus on your goals and the ability to make time for them. Hopefully these 5 Time Management Strategies: Nursing School edition helped you.
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