Nurse Prioritization

Prioritization is a pivotal skill every well-rounded nurse should be acquainted with in order to get the most out of their day in a well-managed manor. Without the proper management of this skill, serious issues can arise for the unit and overall patient satisfaction and safety. When we see a nurse on the unit juggling, frustrated, and drowning in work it can be thought that she received a heavy load, however an experienced nurse would more than likely tell you this is a possibility, yet more than likely an issue of prioritization, planning and delegation that is missing. What is prioritization? Prioritization is the ordering of tasks that need to be done in order of urgency and safety. Factors that affect the order of care and prioritization include: how experienced and qualified the staff are; the critical needs of each patient; the availability of resources/staff; what can be delegated to others, and how much time certain skills may take. In this paper we will look at planning, delegation and an overview of time management tips as tools on how to prioritize better as a nurse.

In order to prevent chaos the first step in prioritizing is giving oneself a planning period and coming up with the game plan for the shift. To be able to see what the needs are per shift, a planning period after patient report will give a good idea of what’s to come. The planning period is a time where your assessment, critical thinking skills, and experience organize what needs to be done and when. In the planning period one will ID the tasks, assess the staff, and plan to take the time to reevaluate through out the