Time-Management Strategies for Nursing Leaders

10 American Nurse Today Volume 12, Number 11 AmericanNurseToday.com

• Planning and prioritizing can improve

productivity and job satisfaction.

MANAGING TIME can be difficult, especially for nurse

leaders attempting to handle busy schedules that include

meetings, staffing problems, and other healthcare issues

that occur throughout the workday. Some people con-

sider a day completely occupied with commitments an

indicator of good time-management skills. However,

constantly moving from place to place or project to proj-

ect doesn’t mean that time is managed appropriately.

Poor time management can lead to inefficient work

flow, wasted time, missed deadlines, poor-quality work,

and decreased work satisfaction. This article will pro-

vide time-management strategies that nurse leaders can

use in any setting.

Self-assessment How do you begin your day? Do you immediately rush

to check your email or voicemail and then begin ad-

dressing the newest problem? Conduct a time audit to

assess how you currently manage your time. (See What’s

a time audit?)

Honestly evaluate your tendency to procrastinate and

identify strategies to overcome it. For example, add due

dates to your to-do lists and prioritize tasks that need to

be completed. Remember that waiting to complete pri-

ority projects not only leads to mismanaged time, it

also increases your stress levels.

Preparing in advance Effective time management begins by planning ahead,

so prepare for the next day by starting the night be-

fore. Get your clothes and coffee organized in advance,

and have a to-do list ready to go. This strategy avoids

rushing in the morning and helps prioritize activities

before starting the workday.

Tackling projects If you have a report, evaluation, or other project due,

start your day by getting it done, even before you

open your email. Focus on big projects first while

you’re still fresh and not distracted by other interrup-

tions. This approach may be difficult at first, but it will

get easier with practice.

Other tips for tackling projects include breaking

large jobs into smaller, more manageable tasks, priori-

tizing work activities to get the most important items

done first, and completing similar activities together.

For example, if you need to make follow-up phone

calls, do them all at once. Another approach includes

completing harder tasks first and leaving smaller, easier

jobs for later in the day.

Managing email Email can consume your day and become a constant

distractor, keeping you away from bigger projects.

Scheduling time throughout the day to purposely

check and address email can make this process more

time efficient.

Keep your inbox organized, using the “delete, do it,

delegate, or defer” method. Decide whether the email

can be deleted, should be immediately addressed, or

can be delegated to someone else. If the email doesn’t

fall into any of those three categories, it can be left in

the inbox to be managed later. Using folders to organ-

ize important emails saves time and eliminates an over-

whelming inbox filled with hundreds of emails.

To avoid frustration and a restless night, don’t check

email right before going to bed. Similarly, don’t check

email while at personal or family events; it will only be

distracting to you and others. Let your personal time

belong to you and schedule regular intervals to check

and address email.

Controlling meetings Meetings have a reputation for being time wasters, but

good time-management strategies can make them pro-

ductive opportunities for collaboration. First, make

sure the meeting is necessary. If it’s not, you’re wast-

ing your time as well as others’. Sharing an agenda

and pre-meeting assignments will indicate to attendees

that the meeting is important and requires participa-

tion. Come prepared and start with the most important

agenda item (not announcements or department up-

dates) so that it’s addressed efficiently and before the

group becomes distracted by other items. Out of re-

spect for your colleagues’ schedules, meetings should

begin and end on time.

Time-management strategies for nurse leaders By Kristy S. Chunta, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, and Johanna Boothby, DEd, MS, RN

Leading the Way

AmericanNurseToday.com November 2017 American Nurse Today 11

Confronting distractors After you completed your time audit, you may have identified several time distractors, such as social media, texting, or Internet surfing. When working on big proj- ects, taking a break to check text messages or social media can be tempting. However, these quick breaks lead to large chunks of mismanaged time and can dis- tract you from completing projects.

You can confront these distractors by setting limits for using personal technology during the workday and managing other interruptions. For example, go to lunch at 11 AM or 1 PM instead of during the busy lunch hour. Limit social interruptions or unscheduled visits from coworkers by being aware of when and how they occur and placing a do-not-disturb sign on the door when doing work that requires immediate attention.

Taking care of yourself Work and busy schedules can consume your day, and the work week can creep into the weekend. Many nurse leaders use the weekend to catch up on projects that they couldn’t finish during the week. You may have busy seasons that require weekend work, but avoid the habit of taking work home. Give yourself op- portunities to rest and rejuvenate by keeping at least

one day a week free from work. And use personal time to give yourself a break from technology. Good time management includes time for yourself and per- sonal relationships.

Be a good time manager Busy nurse leaders rarely have large chunks of time to complete the many activities that require their atten- tion. However, implementing good time-management strategies, such as planning and prioritizing, managing small increments of time, and including personal time away from work can improve productivity and job satisfaction.

The authors work at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the department of

nursing and allied health professions. Kristy S. Chunta is a professor and Johanna

Boothby is an assistant professor.

Selected references Chunta K. Control your email before it controls you. Am Nurse To-

day. 2013;(8). americannursetoday.com/control-your-email-before-it-

controls-you/

Cottrell D. 175 Ways to Get More Done in Less Time. Dallas, TX: Cor-

nerStone Leadership Institute; 2014.

Mack S. The effect of having poor time management skills. Live-

strong.com. Updated August 14, 2017. livestrong.com/article/158633-

the-effect-of-having-poor-time-management-skills/

A time audit can help you improve your time-management skills. It won’t reveal 2-hour chunks of wasted time, but it will help you

identify small increments that can be better managed. Start by tracking your time for 24 hours over 7 to 14 days.

When the tracking period is complete, review the log for opportunities to make improvements. You may identify interruptions

or inefficient tasks, overuse of texting, and personal Internet and social media use. Or you might recognize small increments of

time that could be used more efficiently. Managing time effectively often begins by identifying 5- and 10-minute gaps where

small tasks can be completed.

Sample Time Log Date: ________________________________

Activity Time Total time Priority Activity Comments involved (planned or not)

Did morning run 6 AM – 6:25 AM 25 minutes 2 Yes and cooldown

Got ready for work 6:25 AM – 7:15 AM 50 minutes 2 Yes

Commuted to work 7:15 AM – 8:05 AM 50 minutes 2 Yes and stopped for coffee

Talked to coworker 8:05 AM – 8:09 AM 4 minutes 3 No

Prepared for 8:09 AM – 8:19 AM 10 minutes 1 Yes morning meeting

Attended meeting 8:30 AM – 10:42 AM 2 hours and 1 Yes Meeting was 12 minutes scheduled to last 2 hours

Priority—1 = very important, 2 = somewhat important, 3 = not important

What’s a time audit?

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