Time management in nursing school is the key to staying on top of assignments and completing an ABSN program. Some tips to manage your time include staying organized, prepping meals, prioritizing items, being flexible, and managing expectations.
Succeeding in nursing school requires excellent time management skills. This is especially true if you’re on the fast track to earning your nursing degree at Utica University, which has a busy schedule. Students in Utica’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program in New York juggle online nursing coursework, simulation lab practice, and clinical experiences. While challenging, the ABSN program is doable for students who are committed to smart time management in nursing school.
As you think about the importance of time management in healthcare, start implementing some smart strategies into your daily routine. Staying organized, planning ahead, and prioritizing your daily activities can help you stay on track to get everything done.
Why Time Management in Nursing School Is Critical
Nursing school requires a busy schedule. You will have to juggle regular coursework assignments and exams, participate in lab work at our program sites, and work clinical rounds at top healthcare facilities across central New York. Because the Utica ABSN program takes a traditional four-year program curriculum and condenses it into 16 months, you’ll have a large amount of material to learn in a short amount of time.
Managing your time well can be the key to your success in nursing school. By maximizing your time, you’ll be able to breathe a little easier and stay on track to graduation. You may even find that when you practice good time management in a nursing program, you’ll have some free time for relaxation.
Top Time Management Strategies for Nurses in Training
Once you understand the importance of time management in healthcare, you can begin to adopt key strategies for maximizing your time.
Wondering how to pay for nursing school? Explore funding your education with a combination of scholarships, grants, and other financial aid options.
1. Keep a Schedule
At the beginning of each semester, review your syllabi for important dates like assignment deadlines, exam dates, and clinical hours. Add those dates to a physical or digital daily planner. Set up electronic alerts to remind you of future tasks.
2. Plan Your Meals
Meal planning saves time later and reduces reliance on unhealthy takeout. Write down your meals for the week ahead and create a shopping list before heading to the store. Consider preparing freezer-friendly meals on the weekends to reduce cooking time during the week.
3. Stay Organized
Time management in nursing school requires staying organized. Determine the tasks you need to complete that week and make to-do lists for each day. Keep your supplies and study materials organized and in a designated location so you can quickly pick up where you left off.
“My advice to the students applying is don’t procrastinate. Do everything on time and don’t wait until the last minute because you feel the pressure. The e-learning platform we use has a calendar that tells you what you have for the week, and I start doing one thing at a time, and I get through my assignments for the week. You have to make some time for your studying and reading your books. It is possible,” says Catalina Echeverri Castano, an Utica ABSN Graduate.
4. Be Flexible
If an assignment takes longer than expected, don’t get frustrated. Review your tasks for the day and flag less urgent items for another time. If you’re blindsided by an illness or an emergency, have a backup plan. Unexpected emergencies are also a good reason to complete work ahead of when it’s due. When you’re in a time crunch, identify personal obligations you can delegate to loved ones. Adjust your schedule as needed and consider meeting with an Academic Success Coach to brush up on time management strategies for nurses in training.
5. Manage Expectations
Before enrolling, have a frank discussion with your loved ones to let them know that earning your B.S. in Nursing will be your main priority during the next 16 months. Let them know that while you care about them, you may have to miss social events in favor of studying for a big test, completing coursework, or attending labs or clinicals. Let them know it’s only temporary and that their support during this time will help you immensely.
6. Prioritize Items
A key to time management is prioritizing. Rather than trying to get everything done at once or start in a random order, tackle items on your to-do list based on importance and urgency. For example, complete urgent and important tasks first.
7. Make the Most of Study Time With the Pomodoro Method
The Pomodoro method can be a great way to stay on track and make the most of each homework or study session. It’s a particularly useful tool for students who tend to procrastinate.
Often, procrastination stems from feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work you need to do, causing you to struggle with getting started. The Pomodoro method overcomes this problem by breaking down your work sessions into manageable chunks and focusing on the time spent on a task, rather than the amount accomplished.
Follow these steps:
- Set a timer for 25 minutes.
- Work on one designated task until the timer rings.
- Take a five-minute break.
- Set the timer for 25 more minutes and repeat.
- After every four work intervals, take a 15-minute to 30-minute break.
Proper time management in nursing school requires making the most of each study session, and the Pomodoro method can help you achieve that.
8. Try Task Batching
If you have a lot of small, similar tasks to deal with, you could try task batching. Task batching involves blocking off a specific period to deal with multiple small tasks. For example, you could set aside 30 minutes each day to respond to emails and text messages.
9. Avoid Multitasking
Nursing students might be tempted to multitask in hopes of getting more done, but multitasking can sometimes have the opposite effect. The human brain isn’t capable of focusing on more than one task at a time. When you multitask, you’re actually forcing your brain to rapidly switch between tasks repeatedly. This causes less efficiency and poorer concentration. The result is that multitasking typically leads to less being accomplished.
Tips for Maintaining Long-Term Time Management Skills in Healthcare Careers
Long after you graduate from nursing school, you’ll still need excellent time management skills. Time management in nursing is critical for ensuring that each patient receives the care and attention they need. Some strategies for managing your time wisely as a professional nurse include:
- Practice cluster care. Group together patient care tasks for each patient so that you accomplish everything you need in one visit, such as administering medications, checking vital signs, and assisting with toileting.
- Prioritize. Start your nursing shift by determining which nursing tasks are most important. Do those first, and continually update your priorities throughout the shift.
- Delegate whenever possible. Nurses work as a team, and when one nurse is overloaded with work, it’s sometimes possible to delegate tasks to someone else.
Discover the benefits of earning your B.S. in Nursing at an ABSN program in Albany.
Get the Support You Need in Nursing School at Utica University
Utica University offers extensive support to our ABSN students. This includes Academic Success Coaches who will work with you one-on-one to overcome any challenges, such as those related to time management and organization. With Utica’s ABSN, you can graduate with a B.S. in Nursing in as few as 16 months and be prepared to take the NCLEX and earn your nursing license.
Accelerate your pathway to a nursing career you’ll love. Contact an admission representative at Utica to get started today.
