4 Strategies for Getting Through Your First Year as a Nurse

After years of schooling and tests, preparing for the NCLEX, and making tough decisions, you’ve finally made it to those first few shifts as a nurse. You’re ready to settle into the stability of having the day-to-day job after all the uncertainty of your tests and school, but now you’re faced with a new struggle: how do you manage your time during the actual job?

You’ve likely built up a stable of excellent time management tools in your journey to becoming a nurse, but are finding out that they’re not exactly what you need for the job itself. Where do you begin? We have some tips.

Get there early

You might not be working ideal hours right now, but arriving to your shift twenty minutes early is one of the best ways to start off on the right foot. Not only will you be able to prep your charts and handoffs ahead of time, but being in the right headspace before you begin your shift will allow you to promptly leave it when it’s over - rather than stressing to wrap up tasks when you’re tired at the end of your shift.

And the best part? As you get used to your day-to-day responsibilities, you’ll feel more comfortable when you arrive, meaning that even if you hate getting there early in the beginning, you won’t have to do it forever.

Package Your Tasks Together

During your shift you’re pulled in a variety of directions with tasks both large and small. Before you physically navigate from one area to the other, stop and ask yourself, “Is there something small I can do while I’m here? When I move to my next task, what else can I do while I’m there?”

Packaging your tasks together will give you the headspace to focus only on getting things done where you’re at and where you’re going, and reduce brain clutter. Rather than letting yourself be physically pulled in every direction, focus on what you can do in front of you and immediately around you, then move on.

Try to Maintain a Normal Life … Where You Can

Let’s face it, your life as a nurse is hectic, with long hours at weird times. This isn’t always the greatest way to maintain normal friendships or relationships, as we work late hours or overnight, and four days on and four days off won’t always align with typical social schedules. Unfortunately, responsibility comes with that territory.

Because of that, it’s incredibly important to maintain normality where you can. When you have time off, use it! Enjoy time with loved ones and try not to think about the work that’s potentially waiting for you when you get back in. While your career is based on caring for others, make sure you also take time to care for yourself. Be unapologetic about it.

Lastly, while on the job, take breaks - especially when you think you don’t need them. A twelve hour shift can cause burnout, so take some time off the floor, even if it is only a nap for ten minutes here or there.

Stay Positive

While this mentality doesn’t explicitly deal with managing your time effectively, it does factor greatly into it. If you feel dull and unhappy at work, you’ll be less focused on your job and more tasks will stack up. Some of this is externally driven and you can’t do much about it - but a lot of it comes from inside. When in doubt: choose positivity. Lean into it. Try to see the good in the scenarios you face, even when the charts are stacking up.

This frame of mind can be enhanced by something that seems almost counter to good time management skills: have fun while on the job. A happy workplace is a good one, after all. Joke with your fellow nurses, do cartwheels in the hallways, and enjoy your time. You worked really hard to get here - you owe it to yourself to enjoy your journey.