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How do nurses manage the daily tasks that they have to perform for their patients?

I have always heard stories of how a nurse's shift can be very hectic, and I have wondered how they manage all the different activities that they have to perform. Becoming a nurse is the only career I have in mind right now, and I want a more in-depth look on how they manage the work dense shifts that they have. #nursing #timemanagement #profession

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Romina’s Answer

Hi Rikka!


I am happy to hear that you are thinking of becoming a nurse. Being a nurse has been so rewarding to me professionally and personally. When I first started working as a nurse, I had the same question as you. How do nurses do it all? It seem like it is overwhelming, but it takes time to build your skills and your time management. Every nurse had to go through this, so you will not be alone. You need to be patient with yourself and always be eager to learn. Most importantly, you need to be asking questions especially if you are doing something for the first time (best way to avoid mistakes). In time, nurses master the art of prioritization overall through EXPERIENCE! That's really about it. It also helps to your advantage if you have a great staff/coworkers around you as well. Team work and being a team player is necessary to succeed in nursing - particularly bedside/floor nursing. To conclude, eventually you will learn to discern which patient to see first, assess and cater to their concerns/needs, etcetera as time goes by as you practice as a registered nurse.


All the best! :)

Romina recommends the following next steps:

If you are already in nursing school, practice prioritization questions--"NCLEX" style questions just to get a feel of the different scenarios that may occur in a healthcare facility setting. From there, you can get a feel and understand the rationale of how/what/who you should be prioritizing and why.
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Chelsea’s Answer

That is a great question, Rikka! I thought I was good at time management, until I became a nurse. There was so much to learn and so much to experience. In time, I have learned which patients need to be seen first, and what can wait. You also become very good at delegating tasks to the nursing assistants and knowing when to ask the charge nurse for help. I don't know a single nurse that would say they can do it all on their own, for the entire shift. I am in pediatrics and, similar to the emergency department, you never know what is going to happen. There are a lot of people to interact with--the patient, the parents, the siblings, the grandparent on the phone, the imaginary friend....the list goes on!

You will get into your own groove and figure out what works best for you. I personally like highlighting tasks on my "brain" (report paper) that are time sensitive or need addressed quickly, and crossing things out as I go. Good luck! :)
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