MATERIAL

ON
TIME
MANAGEMENT

SUBMITTED BY
- Ms. Anuradha
- Ms Lovely Tomar
 TIME MANAGEMENT
- Ms. Anuradha
- Ms Lovely Tomar

INTRODUCTION
With the increases emphasis on efficiency and effectiveness is health care, how a nurse
manages to spent her time is an important consideration. Time management is one of
the tools to increase the effectiveness of leadership and to decrease the stress. Time is
one of the most important consideration. Time management is one of the tools to
increase the effectiveness of leadership and to decreases the stress. Time is one of the
most important resources for everyone, and sometimes most valuable. A sense of time
can motivate, focus efforts, and get more done per hour. Time management is an
important key to life and recognized as an important component of work performance
and professional nursing practices, the reality of this process in nursing practices has
been subject to scant empirical investigation.

The idea of the time management has been in existence for more than 100 years. It is an
art itself. It is easy to understand but difficult to follow. Today money can buy almost
everything except time. It is one of the factors that can cause stress in individuals,
because there are so many tasks that await one’s attention. Since the time in individual’s
life is constant and irreversible, nothing can be substituted for time. Worst it, if it is
wasted, it can never be regained. In order to manage time, one needs to follow certain
values and be disciplined in all activities. There is currently no to produce competent
and capable nurses. This is because the healthcare sector is constantly searching for
ways to reduce costs while simultaneously improving quality of services.
Despite widespread use of the term ‘time management’ not much scientific research has
focused on how individuals manage time or examined the process involved in time
management. In some studies, time management has been recognized as the basis of
success.

TIME MANAGEMENT
Time management has been defined as “a set of related common sense skills that helps
you to use your time in the most effective and productive way possible.”
Time management is act or process of planning and exercising conscious control over
the amount of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness,
efficiency or productivity.

Time management has been referred to as: techniques for managing time. It is a
technique for effective time use, especially having enough time to accomplish the many
tasks required and to increase the time available to purse activities.
Time management is referred as planning and allocating time.

It is an application of self-regulation processes in the temporal domain and practices

intended to maximize intellectual productivity and self-regulation strategies aimed at
discussing plans, and their efficiency.

BASIC TIME MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES

The key to time management is to realize, that one cannot possibly do everything that
there is to do. Time management is more often than just managing time. It is setting
priorities and taking charge of the situation and time utilization. It is being able to try
different methods to maximize the use of time.
Time is constant and irreversible and nothing can be substituted for time. Worse, once
wasted, it can never be regained. Time keeps getting away and it is difficult controlling
it. Yet, time needs to be effectively managed to be effective. Success in time
management is measured by the quality of both work and personal life.
The following are the principles that should be kept in mind:
Be on time
Scope out the atmosphere and assignment. Set your watch ahead. Being late sets the
tone for constantly playing catch-up, which only adds to your stress and disorganization.

Adjust your attitude

Being busy is not something that life does to us, we do it to ourselves. Some things are
beyond our control, but many things are not.

Be Goal oriented
Identify the goals, long term and short term.

Prioritize
Once you have a list of things to do schedule them accordingly to their importance.
Sometimes it may make sense to do a bunch of small tasks first, to clear your mind for
a bigger task. Other times you may have to just ignore the small stuff to get the big work
done. If you are more alert at certain times of the day, do harder tasks then and save the
more menial stuff for another time.
Prioritize patient care using categories such as (A) critical or essential, (B) important,
(C) could be put off, (D) delegate and (E) erase or ignore. Write everything down. Cross
items off on completion and re-prioritizes as events unfold throughout the day.
Divide large tasks
Large tasks should be broken into series of small tasks. By creating small manageable
tasks, the entire task will eventually be accomplished.
Plan your activities
Schedule a regular time to plan activities
Be organized
Have a place for everything and put things away as soon as you have done using them.
Put items that are oftenly used in a more accessible location. Throw things away if they
are no longer needed. Clutter is a big time-waster.
Manage your workload
We often make a mistake by saying yes for too many things. This causes us to live to
the priorities of others, rather than accordingly to our town. Every time you agree to do
something else, something else will not get done. Learn to say NO.
Follow a routine
Make a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual routine and follow it. Routine help
you make sure you don’t forget to overwhelm you all at once. Make checklist of
repeated tasks, so you don’t have to think about them. Routines are good for mental and
physical well-being.
Delegate effectively
Learning to delegate is one of the most difficult tasks. Delegate by identifying the
subordinates those can be trusted and delegate small tasks to test how they handle those
activities. If they are successful, gradually increase the tasks and keep track of their
results.
Documentation
Chart immediately after completing each nursing activity. Don’t forget critical entries.
Don’t leave it all for the end of the shift.
Manage meetings
Moderation is key, allow time to relax and for reflection. Give yourself extra time.
Organize your Home life
Schedule specific times to spend with family or friends on a regular basis, and keep the
appointment. Make a list of activities and divide them into A, B, and C priotities. ‘A’
items are important to long term success, ‘B’ may be urgent but not as important and
‘C’ are those that would be nice to do if one gets the time. Start with the A items. Don’t
work on a C just because it’s easy to do. Check off items after completion.

Track what you want to do

Keep a record of time that is actually spent. Evaluate yourself on a regular basis to make
sure that the way you are prioritizing tasks is in line with your goals. There is often a
gap between what you think you are doing and what you are actually doing. Time is
well managed if things that ought to run smoothly are doing so and desired ends are
being achieved by the economical use of time.

IMPORTANCE OF THE TIME MANAGEMENT IN NURSING

Time is importance for nurses too. If there is one problem that is universal for the
managers in all the settings including nursing, it is mostly likely to get everything done.
• The nursing profession is very busy, and the more productive a nurse can be, the
more effective they are in their job.
• Nursing is a demanding career and requires you to practice a lot a patience as well
as learn and apply a highly effective time management system to truly stay on top
of the game.
• Nurses not only have lots of things to do and also make quick and wise decisions.
Time management allows the nurses to prioritize care, decide on outcomes, and
perform the most important interventions first.
• The nurses have dual roles, i.e. patient care provider and organizational employer.
The allocation of nursing time is fundamental to both roles. As providers of care,
nurses are expected to allocate their time to establish and maintain therapeutic
nurse-patient relationship and implement the nursing process to maximize patient
outcomes. As organizational employees, nurses are expected to complete their work
assignment effectively to support the goal. In order to reduce the cost of services,
seek to save time and eliminate time waste.
• Time is care and time is money. Inadequate nursing time contributes to poor quality
care and excess nursing time contributes to the high cost care.
• Time management in nursing also important so nurses feel less stressed. When
nurses know what they need to do and have a plan for doing it along with the
necessary room in their schedule to deal with unexpected crisis, they will feel more
positive about their extremely important jobs. Nurses who feel less stress are better
able to take care of themselves and their patients.
• Time management in nursing is vital in order to typically large patient workload
that nurses must manage. They must ensure they check on each patient several times
during each shift they complete their rounds. Aside from being friendly and
compassionate, nurses must answer questions that patients have, ensure they are
being medicated, fed and given proper treatment and therapy as needed, and see to
it that, when necessary, doctors are consulted. Nurses must regularly check on
patients, while also handling any emergencies that arise, so the ability to prioritize
is vital. Nurses often act as the communication link between nursing assistant, other
nurses, doctors and healthcare professional.
• Most of the nursing services are time consuming and demanding. The time of the
hours of the day can’t be increased but the proper time planning and management
can yield positive results.
• Working smarter not harder and longer is the key for the nurses at all the levels.

EFFECTS OF TIME MANAGEMENT

Effects on the proximal outcomes time estimation and spending time on high
priority tasks
The proximal outcomes time estimation and spending time on high priority tasks are
positively affected by the time management. The work load can be identified and easily
can be managed.
Francis-Smythe and Robertson (1999) concluded that participants who perceived
themselves as practicing time management behaviour estimated the expected time
durations more accurately than those who did not, but tended to underestimated time in
passing.
Effects on performance in work and academic setting, job performance, academic
performance
Time management shows positive results in job performance and academic
performance. The quality of work can also be improved.
Effects on attitudinal and stress- related outcomes
There is positive relationship between attitudinal and stress related outcomes such as
perceived control of time, job satisfaction, role overload job- related and somatic, work-
family interference and health and negatively to job-induced and emotional exhaustion
on the other. Reduces frustration, irritability and anger and reduces negative stress.
Effect on completion of work
Time management has positive outcome in completion of tasks in the allotted time an
dcan meet deadlines. It helps to gain a sense of accomplishment.
Self awareness about the work
Time management helps to know the work and why at my given time and get more time
to do things you want to do.
Improves quality of life
Time management makes you more organized and thus have peace of mind.

COMMON TIME WASTERS AND REMINDERS

Feeling of overwhelmed and anxious

This may be due to workload that can freeze and allow putting things off.
Solution: set priorities, and get started
Procrastination
It is the thief of time; procrastination involves performing low-priorities activities in
place of high-priority activities. Spending time on irrelevant tasks.
Solution:
➢ Identify your high-energy periods during the workday and schedule the most
difficult task during these periods.
➢ Set priorities for each task and focus on one problem at a time
➢ Divide seemingly complex tasks into smaller tasks.
➢ Define deadlines to develop a time frame in which to plan and fit the task into
schedule.
➢ Deal with unpleasant task first
➢ Do action plan and prioritize all activities and tasks on a weekly basis.
Putting off starting a task
When one face difficulty
Solution
➢ Break up the work into small chunks
Putting off starting a task
When one face difficulty
Solution
➢ Break up the work into small chunks
Perfectionism
Perfectionism can be paralyzing and is a common trait among nurses.
Solution:
➢ Avoid perfectionism by developing reasonable standards of practice.
➢ Strive for excellence by doing job well and using the resources provide by the
organisation.
➢ Ask for guidance and suggestions from other experienced nusres.
Day dreaming
Check the energy level and conception
Poor planning
Planning is the way of saving time for errors. Try to have proper planning.
Interruptions
May be due to telephone. Instead of being at the whim of callers, make the phone work
for you.
Socializing Idle conversation
Effective conversation as per the situation demand should be adopted and followed.
Unclear objectives and priorities
Set priorities as per the goal to achieve and the objectives should be clearly defined at
the beginning.
Stress
Some suitable methods should be followed to reduce the stress of any kind.
Inability to say “No”
Decide what you want to do and realistically can do and then say no to everything else.
Leaving tasks unfinished
Complete the first task and then move to another.

The common external and internal time wasters. One should avoid these wasters in order
to achieve the goals.

EXTERNAL INTERNAL
• Interruptions • Procrastination
• Workplace socializing • Lack of planning
• Too many meeting • Lack of priorities
• Unscheduled visitors • Slow skills
• Poor work environment • Physical or mental exhaustion
• Unclear goals stress
• Trying to get other’s cooperation • Not being able to say no
• Bureaucratic ‘red tape’ • Low motivation
• Leaving task unfinished

Barriers in utilizing effective time management by nurses

Success in the nursing profession requires fine-tuned time management skills. The nurse
manager plays an essential role in healthcare. She sets the tone of any healthcare system.
The manager is the backbone of the organization. The quality of patient care, as well as
staff recruitment and retention success, rests with this key role. Over time it will be the
strength of the nurse manager group that determines the success or failure of nursing
leadership. The utilization of time in an effective way is the key for the success
rendering quality care. There are various barriers at the workplace that need to be taken
care of. The common barriers to time management for nurses are disorganization,
distraction, perfectionism, procrastination, and rigidity.
➢ Disorganization

This is the inability to organize the work properly. If the things are not kept in place
can lead to confusion, havoc and stress among nurses. So it is important to keep the
necessary things i specific areas follow the schedule and keep all the material and
information ready in hand.
➢ Distraction

There are number of reasons for getting distracted in the work place. This may be due
to telephone calls, patients, rounds, visitors so and so on. Try to avoid distractions. Be
mentally stable and be polite with others even in the busiest time.
➢ Perfectionism

Though perfection in the work is very important but at times it can lead to
procrastination. To achieve the perfection, there is fear to complete the work, produce
the chaos and confusion among them. Avoid perfectionism by developing reasonable
standards of practice. Strive for excellence by doing your job well and using the
resources provided by the organization.
➢ Procrastination

This is a negative pattern of behavior that delays the important work for unnecessary
reasons. It involves performing low-priority activities in place of high-priority
activities and signals internal conflict and indecision and results in the avoidance of
difficult tasks. So it is important to be positive. Identify high-energy periods, set
priorities, and visualize the end results. Define deadlines to develop a time frame
➢ Rigidity

Rigidity is essential in performing certain tasks, e.g. to keep schedule. But in order to
bring change in the processes, it is important to be flexible in carrying out the
activities.
 ➢ Poor planning or unrealistic planning

To manage your time is to control time by proper planning. Planning takes time and
must be scheduled into each day. List down all the activities for the day and review
time frames to determine if the time assigned to each activity' is realistic. Analyze for
use of time.
Effective time management
Time is limited. There is 24 hour a day, which equals 1,440 minutes or 86,400
seconds. Everybody gets the same amount of hours, minutes and seconds each day and
managing time well an easier road to success. The main benefit of effective time
management is that, it can drastically improve the quality of life. Each and every
individual needs to manage his / her time well to be successful in life.
Four generations of time management
The phrase ‘organize and execute around priorities’ represents the evolution of three
generation of time management theory, and how to do the best, is the focus of a wide
variety of approaches and materials. The 4 generations of time management is a broad
categorization of these numerous approaches to time management by Stephen r.
Covey. Each generation builds on (he one before it-each one moves us towards greater
control on our lives.
A. First generation

It is characterized by use of notes & checklists that act as reminders. Those individuals
who like and favor this approach believe in managing their time by writing notes and
creating checklists of things to be done. The items on the list are not arranged on a
priority basis and the note acts as a reminder of all the tasks that must be completed
during the day. By following this checklist and striking out tasks as and when they are
accomplished, such individuals are able to keep a track of all that which needs to be
completed. Tasks which are not completed within the stipulated time are put on
tomorrow’s list.
B. Second generation

This generation is characterized by preparing and planning is done by using calendars

and appointment books. Time managers of the second generation are those people who
are in the favor of constructive planning and like to be prepared well in advance by
scheduling tasks. Such managers put to use scheduling items such as calendars and
even the computer to write down the timings and venues of meetings and important
events etc.
C. Third generation
This generation is also called ‘schedule & prioritize’ generation. The individuals, who
believe in this generation, take the entire time management activity to the next level by
identifying those tasks that must be completed first. Arranging activities of the day on
a priority basis helps them to set different time goals. Such managers may maintain
their task list on the computer or in a written format (organizer/ appointment book). It
reflects the current time management field. It focuses on setting the goals specific
long, intermediate and long term targets towards which time and energy would be
directed in harmony. It is based on daily planning.
D. Fourth generation

It is different in kind. This generation is ‘Being efficient and proactive’. T hose people
who fall into the fourth generation of time management understand and appreciate the
difference between urgent and important tasks. Those who attempt to accomplish
urgent tasks, often ignore those activities which are of utmost importance. Such an
approach can prove to be very costly in the long run as it makes individuals to forget
about things that were important in their life and needed time, simply because they
were not urgent. The main theme of this generation is to get started, persist and
persevere.
❖ The pickle jar theory

Make time for the things that matter.

The pickle jar theory of effective time management is based on the fact that if you
start by putting stones into a pickle jar, then pebbles and then sand you will fit more
into the pickle jar then if you do it the other way around. By first doing the important
tasks you will also be able to complete more tasks and do the things you want to do.
The pickle jar theory of effective time management requires prioritizing you need to
know what your most important tasks are and what are just filler tasks that don’t really
need to be done or are not as important.
The pickle jar theory of effective time management means focusing on the important
things. In order to get the important task done first you will need to minimize
distractions.
In order to manage your time effectively you need to make room for rest and
recreation. If you first of all focus on doing the things you will enjoy then you will not
have time to do the important tasks. But if you first of all do the important tasks then
you should still leave time for rest and relaxation. If you never make time to relax then
you will soon wear out and not be as effective in completing your tasks. The pickle jar
theory of effective time management therefore allows room for sand.
Thus the pickle jar theory of time management is based on prioritizing your task list,
focusing on the more important aspects and then still allowing room for rest and
relaxation. Following this principle will ensure effective time management and the
completion of all your tasks on time and with as little stress as possible.

❖ Time management matrix or the urgent/important matrix

The time management matrix was popularized as a management model by Stephen

covey in his book “the 7 habits of highly effective people”. It shows how you can
divide up all your workplace tasks according to two criteria: how important they are
(the vertical axis in the diagram) and how urgent they are (the horizontal axis). As a
result of these two criteria, the model creates four squares which covey calls
“quadrants” and which are the keys to time management performance. All the time is
spent in a four quadrant matrix. No one can change the size of this matrix that’s the
time that you have. You can significantly alter the size of the four quadrants within the
time matrix.
The time management matrix a useful tool to know how to prioritize work, personal
roles, goals and commitments. The time management matrix is split into the following
four quadrants:
1. Quadrant 1-Urgent and important

The quadrant of necessities

Items that is both urgent and important. It includes reactive tasks that need to be done,
often at the last minute. This category includes true emergencies; personal, medical,
professional and important deadline driven projects. Crises, ‘fire-fighting’ and
looming deadlines are typical examples. Time spent in this quadrant can’t be avoided,
but it can be significantly reduced if you’re prepared to spend more time in... These
are the things that we have to do because they are our responsibility and need
immediate attention. These are usually emergencies, crises, and pressing deadline-
driven problems. They may be the result of procrastination or inability to face up to
doing them at the right time. Covey calls these “firefighting” tasks.
2. Quadrant 2-important but not urgent

Quadrant of quality
It is the quadrant of personal proactively and power. Items that is not urgent but
important. This includes activities that build capability, spot new opportunities, and
ensure long term success. It includes proactive tasks, often habitual, that maintains or
improves the quality of your work and life. The more you expand this quadrant, the
more you reduce the other three, particularly ‘pseudo-emergencies’ that should never
have been allowed to become so. Examples include maintaining and building
relationships, regular exercise, healthy eating or learning new skills, even becoming
more aware of the importance of time management itself.
These are the tasks that aren’t pressing but, if do them, will ensure fewer, if any,
problems down the line. They include time on personal health and development,
unhurried ‘quality time’ with others, prevention work, thinking time such as planning
and preparation, and clarifying our values. Covey calls these as ‘productive’ tasks.
3. Quadrant 3-urgent but not important

The quadrant of deception

This quadrant includes items that are urgent and not important. These activities may
seem important, but they are not really. They only grab your attention immediately.
These are the things that we allow to interrupt our working lives because we believe
they take precedence over other tasks. The worst examples of such tasks are answering
every phone call.
4. Quadrant4 -neither urgent nor important

The quadrant of waste

It includes items that are not urgent and not important. Sometimes people mistake this
quadrant for recreation. True recreations activities that help to regain energy and build
a healthy lifestyle belong in quadrant 2.
These are the things that we don’t need to do but that so often we end up doing to fill
in time or because we like doing them. These include aimless socializing around and
attending unnecessary meetings. Covey calls these ‘time-wasters’.
❖ Other prioritization tools
➢ Paired comparison analysis

Paired comparison analysis is most useful where decision criteria are vague, subjective
or inconsistent. It helps to prioritize options by comparing each item on a list with all
other items on the list individually. By deciding in each case which of the two is most
important, can consolidate results to get a prioritized list.
➢ Grid analysis
Grid analysis helps to prioritize a list of tasks where many different factors need to be
taken into consideration.
➢ The action priority matrix

This quick and simple diagramming technique plot the value of the task against the
effort it will consume. By doing this it can quickly spot the ‘quick wins’ which will
give the greatest rewards in the shortest possible time, and avoid the ‘hard slogs’
which soak up time for little eventual reward. This is an ingenious approach for
making highly efficient prioritization decisions.
➢ The Ansoff matrix and the Boston matrices

These give a quick ‘rules of thumb’ for prioritizing the opportunities. The ansoff
matrix helps to evaluate and prioritize opportunities by risk. The boston matrix does a
similar job, helping to prioritize opportunities based on the attractiveness of a market
and your ability to take advantage of it.
➢ Pareto analysis

Pareto analysis helps to identify the most important changes to make. It is basically
focused on the different types of problem in a group, and then asks to count the
number of cases of each type of problem. By prioritizing the most common type of
problem, one can focus efforts on resolving it. This clears time to focus on the next set
of problems, and so on.
➢ Nominal group technique

Nominal group technique is a useful technique for prioritizing issues and projects
within a group, giving everyone fair input into the prioritization process. This is
particularly useful where consensus is important, and where a robust group decision
needs to be made.
Criteria of a good time management system
• Goals (yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily) and deadlines
• Daily scheduling and things ‘to do’ list with priorities
• Schedule time for specific activities
• Planned communication and other meetings
• Activities to be delegated with a deadline date and checkpoints
• Identifications and planning techniques for handling specific time management
problems (crises, interruptions)
• Organized materials, files, projects
 • Clarification regarding assignments (yours and others) tools (monthly, weekly)
calendars a work in progress chart at least 20% of managerial time should be
committed to planning.

Time management techniques

• Set realistic goals for tasks and activities
• Grouping similar tasks together
• Concentrate over one work at a time
• List for priority works: be able to prioritize and schedule tasks.
• Manage priorities by setting personal and work goal
• Learn to allocate time to each task in its order of priority
• Draw up a plan to organize tasks and activities
• Be able to do effective weekly planning
• Assertiveness and politeness: be assertive with colleagues and managers and
learn how to say ‘no’
• Knowledge of your commitments and limitations
• Uninterrupted and quite time: deal with interruptions and make effective
decisions which affect time positively
 • Delegates will learn skills which will improve planning, assertiveness, setting
priorities, decision making, desk and paper management, and communication
skills
• Personal filling system
• Orderly work area
• Processing, paper work done timely
• Breaking the longer tasks into smaller
• Selective reading
• Familiarity with standoff procedures
• Effective use of slack time
• Skill to make accurate decisions.

Time management building blocks

Effective time management in the workplace involves setting realistic goals, planning
and prioritizing scheduled tasks, applying sound decision-making principles,
delegating responsibility, and understanding how to motivate nurses to produce at
optimum levels.
By setting realistic goals, nurse supervisors and managers can help nurses better
manage a work day. Unrealistic work deadlines place undue pressure on nurses and
management; but by carefully planning, prioritizing and scheduling tasks, pressure is
lessened and nurses can work more efficiently.
Nurse Managers and employees who properly plan and prioritize job assignments tend
to stay ahead of the game, pacing workflow for greater work output. As work is
completed according to its degree of importance, nurses can feel a sense of
accomplishment without added pressure.
❖ The time management cycle or the building blocks of time management starts
with the process of goal setting and follows the following steps:
➢ Step 1: goal setting

The process of goal setting will help to establish a context for managing time.
• The first step in effectively managing time is to develop an explicit statement of
long range goals.
• Identify professional and personal goals with realistic short term and long-term
time frames for attainment.
• Then assign each goal a priority number or letter in order of importance. This
should be done weekly.
 ➢ Step 2: Review time utilization

This will help the nurse managers to know where the time actually gets spent.
• Identify how time is spent on both productive activities and time wasting
activities.
• Write down the things that are being done i.e. the process of time logging.
• Modify schedule

➢ Step 3: Match Time utilization patterns with goals

• Compare the time utilization patterns on your daily activity keeping in mind
identified personal and professional goals.
• Identify hurdles in goal attainment.
• Identify barriers such as procrastination, interruptions, and unproductive
meetings tasks that can be delegated, acting with incomplete information, poor
planning, stress and fatigue.
• Structure schedule with a focus on goal attainment.
• Strategic planning serves to eliminate or minimize the time barriers.
• Apply 80/20 the Pareto principle, to best attain goals, i.e. Spend 80 percent of
your time on the top 20 percent of most important work.

➢ Step 4: Planning and Priotizing

Plan and prioritize for better time management

• Use a priority time management matrix.
• Tasks that need to be prioritized are placed in four categories: important and
urgent; important but not urgent; not important but urgent; and not important
and not urgent. Time wasters fall into the fourth quadrant labeled not important
and not urgent. Identify time wasters and try to eliminate or control them.
• Organize priority needs on calendar or schedule in blocks of time.

➢ Step 5: Self-monitoring: battling the major time wasters

• Self-monitor actions
• Pay attention to plans and way of planning
• Forecast tor various events
• Be aware of time wasters.
 ➢ Step 6: Time shifting and adjustment
• Make adjustment to plans time management habits
• The things that are not controllable, be cool and get back on track
• Make correction and modify.

Time management tips for nurses

The most effective way to improve time management is to be constantly aware of how
you’re managing time. Anyone can get better at learning time management skills.
Those who do soon notice the difference it makes to their quality of life. The
following are few approaches that can help nurses to improve time management:
L-e-a-p-s approach
1. List all the activities needed to be done. Do it the night before.
2. Estimate time needed to carry out each activity.
3. Allow time for errors, unexpected and urgent tasks.
4. Prioritize activities by using the abc’s daily to-do list. A is for as the most
important, b the important but not so urgent one, and c for tasks that doesn’t
require immediate attention. The time management matrix, developed by
Stephen covey can also be used.
5. Study the activities of the day. At the end of the day, review the activities and
adjust schedule accordingly.

‘Plan, Pick and Play’ approach

Nursing isn’t so much about getting things done as getting the most important things
done. Prioritize and learn to be assertive in dealings with nurse managers, patients and
colleagues.
Plan: planning invariably saves time. Planning is to have a clear idea before starting
work. Spend some time for deciding what to do during shift. When you’re with
patients is the time you have to adopt a pickier mindset.
Pick: there are two ways of picking a task. Firstly, whenever you get given tasks that
plan to do them; when you have done, again make a list of things to do during the next
one. That is the extent of your task list. If you want to pick what to do, prioritize
according to urgency at first.
Time management for nurses revolves around the second and most important part of
the job i.e. Patient care. This is where prioritizing becomes much more immediate.
Patient care priorities can alter almost immediately, so decisions have to be made in a
matter of seconds.
Play: make time for you to avoid burnout and enjoy a healthy work life balance.
Scheduling the tasks and activities
Good time management involves keeping a schedule of the tasks and activities that
have been deemed important. Keeping a calendar or daily planner is helpful to stay on
task, but self-discipline is also required. The most efficient to do list in the world will
not help someone who does not look at or follow his own daily planner. Following are
the points that can help for effective management.
• Take time to review the job description, specific to the role of the nurse
manager at the institution. Make sure that the written description matches the
real workload of the job.
• Discuss role expectations with nurse supervisor. Do personal survey or analyze
the present use of time, prepare a chart of fixed commitment.
• Organizing and planning the days ahead: prepare an event calendar, schedule
high priority activities for peak energy times and schedule most difficult
activities for peak times and do them first.
• Planning daily goals: list and prioritize daily goals and make weekly schedule,
make a daily check list and prepare a quarterly planning grid.
• Avoid distractions: distractions can come in different forms, whether through
taking lots of time on the phone, chatting with fellow nurses or hospital staffs.
These are all unproductive activities that can cause a loss of valuable time or
even neglect your duties to your patients.
• Think positive and reduce stress by sparkle formula, i.e. sleep, plan, anticipate
loss, relax, keep anger under control, laugh and eat.