DiversityNursing Blog

Nursing is a rewarding yet challenging profession. Long hours, demanding tasks, and the need to stay organized can make shifts overwhelming. To help you navigate your day more efficiently, here are some practical hacks to streamline your tasks and improve your overall workflow before and during your shifts.

Prepare the Night Before

Pack Smart: Lay out your uniform, shoes, and any necessary accessories the night before. This eliminates the morning scramble and ensures you start your day smoothly.

Meal Prep: Prepare your meals and snacks in advance. Pack high-protein snacks, fruits, and vegetables to keep your energy levels up throughout the shift.

Check Your Schedule: Review your schedule and any patient updates before heading to bed. This helps you mentally prepare for the day ahead.

Optimize Your Shift Start

Arrive Early: Arriving a few minutes early allows you to settle in, review patient charts, and prioritize tasks before the official start of your shift.

Organize Your Workspace: Take a few moments to organize your workstation. A tidy workspace reduces stress and helps you find necessary items quickly.

Create a To-Do List: Outline your tasks for the day. Prioritize them based on urgency and importance to ensure nothing crucial is overlooked.

Streamline Your Tasks

Batch Similar Tasks: Group similar tasks together to save time. For example, if you need to check vital signs for multiple patients, do it in one go.

Use Checklists: Create checklists for recurring tasks, such as patient admissions or discharges. Checklists ensure you don’t miss any steps and help you stay organized.

Delegate Wisely: Don’t hesitate to delegate tasks to Nursing Assistants or support staff when appropriate. Delegation frees you up to focus on more critical duties.

Maximize Patient Care Efficiency

Prepare Supplies in Advance: Before entering a patient’s room, gather all necessary supplies. This minimizes the need to leave the room repeatedly, saving time and maintaining patient focus.

Document in Real-Time: Document patient care and observations in real-time or as soon as possible. This prevents backlog and ensures accurate, up-to-date records.

Use Technology: Utilize technology, such as mobile apps or digital reminders, to keep track of medications, appointments, and other important tasks.

Take Care of Yourself

Stay Hydrated: Keep a water bottle with you and sip regularly. Staying hydrated maintains your energy levels and cognitive function.

Take Breaks: Use your breaks to relax and recharge. Even a few minutes of deep breathing or a short walk can make a significant difference.

Practice Mindfulness: Incorporate mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing or meditation, into your day. These practices reduce stress and improve focus.

Foster Teamwork and Communication

Communicate Clearly: Clear and concise communication with colleagues ensures everyone is on the same page, reducing errors and improving patient care.

Support Each Other: Foster a supportive environment by helping colleagues when possible. A collaborative team reduces individual stress and improves overall efficiency.

Share Tips and Tricks: Share your own Nursing hacks with your team and be open to learning from others. Collective wisdom enhances everyone’s efficiency and effectiveness.

By incorporating these Nursing hacks into your routine, you can streamline your tasks, improve efficiency, and provide better patient care. Remember, taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your patients. With a bit of preparation and smart strategies, you can make your shifts more manageable and enjoyable. Happy Nursing!

Nurse gig shifts refer to temporary or short-term Nursing assignments that are often offered through staffing agencies or online apps. These shifts can range in length from a few hours to several weeks or months and are often taken by Nurses who are looking for flexible work arrangements or who want to supplement their income.

Gig shifts can be beneficial for both Nurses and healthcare facilities. Nurses who work gig shifts have the flexibility to choose when and where they work, and they can often earn a higher hourly rate than they would in a traditional full-time position. Healthcare facilities can use gig shifts to fill staffing gaps or to cover unexpected absences, ensuring that patient care is not compromised.

According to The Wall Street Journal, embracing gig apps is one way hospitals and health systems are looking to provide flexibility and fill vacancies. This includes Providence Health.

Providence added gig Nurses last year and has filled 13,000 shifts for Nurses and other medical roles, Mark Smith, who oversees workforce analysis, staffing and optimization for the organization, told The Wall Street Journal. He also told the publication the health system plans to expand gig work from 12 hospitals and Nursing homes to 19.

“We make sure the Nurses who work through the app are thoroughly vetted and have the licenses and certifications required to work on the Nursing unit they’re receiving training to work on, just like our own caregivers do,” Smith explained. “At Providence, we’ve found that Nurses taking assignments through the app fill six shifts per month.”

Among the apps hospitals are adopting are ShiftKey, which lets Nurses bid for shifts, and CareRev, which lets hospitals raise and lower their rates for different shifts. 

However, there are also some potential drawbacks to working gig shifts. These can include inconsistent work schedules, lack of benefits, and a lack of job security. Nurses who work gig shifts may also miss out on opportunities for professional development and career advancement that are more readily available in traditional full-time positions.

Overall, whether or not you should pursue gig shifts depends on your personal goals and priorities. It's important to carefully consider the pros and cons of gig work as well as research potential employers and platforms before accepting any assignments.

At the beginning of your Nursing career, you have many decisions to make. One of the biggest is what shift works for you. When you’re first starting out, you may not have a choice. You have to take what is available. However, if you do have a choice, this information provides what each shift has to offer.

Day Shift 

More activity 

Day shift Nursing is more active. Patients are awake, phones are ringing, more call lights are going off and families are visiting patients. If you enjoy the fast paced environment then you should consider working the day shift. 

More staff present

According to an article by Nurse Blake, there is help and different opportunities for learning during day shift because more people work during the day. Have an urgent question for the physician, dietitian, wound care specialist, or physical therapist? No worries, most departments have staff available during the day to help assist with any questions. Also, numerous procedures/tests take place during the day which can provide opportunities to observe and learn new skills.

Fits in with regular daily schedules

It's easier to maintain a social life because you'll be able to attend more nightly or weekend activities with family and friends. You'll also be able to keep an ordinary sleep schedule. 

Cafeteria is open

Sometimes the cafeteria isn't open 24/7. So during the day shift you don't have to worry about forgetting a lunch! You can grab a snack whenever if you become hungry.

Team bonding 

It's nice to go out with your coworkers after a long shift and grab dinner or drinks to unwind, have a few laughs and get to know each other outside of the work environment. If you work night shift, you have less opportunities to go out somewhere besides a breakfast place. 

Night Shift 

More money

An article by Nursingjobs.com said, many hospitals offer shift differentials at hourly rates to help supplement a Nurse's income in return for working night shifts.

According to PayScale, the average hourly rate for an RN working the day shift is between $22.54 - $40.69/hour, depending on geographical location, experience level, and medical facility. A night Nurse, on the other hand, can expect to make up to $41.03/hour, which is slightly higher. The added night shift differential varies by facility type, but it can make a big difference over long-term periods.

Less traffic and better parking

You can get your errands done during the day while most people are at work. Your drive to work should be shorter because there are less people on the road at night. A shorter commute means more sleep! There will be less people parked at your job so that means better parking. 

Quieter

Usually during the night shift, patient volumes are generally lower. It can be busy during the first few hours of the shift but as the night goes on it settles down. So you'll have fewer distractions, less discharges to process, and fewer medications to administer. Also, you'll have more time to spend with each patient as there are limited visitors and family members present.

2 or 3 Days a Week

A Shorter Work Week

According to an article from Nurse.org, usually working three days a week means having four days off. This is a great option for Nurses with a long commute because it translates into less hours on the road. Also, those requiring child care prefer this option instead of the traditional 8-hour schedule.

Reducing Errors and Providing Better Care

Rather than having three Nurses in a 24-hour period, a patient will have two, a day Nurse and a night Nurse. Since only two Nurses are transferring information, there is less risk for miscommunication errors. The Joint Commission reported that at least 80% of serious medical errors result from a miscommunication between caregivers during handoff.

Flexible Schedule 

Most Nurses working 12-hour shifts group their work days together and have longer periods of time off. This leaves time for traveling, a side job, education, or time with family and friends. 

What is your current schedule? Have you worked different shifts? If so, which do you prefer and why? We would love to hear what you think! Please comment below!