How do I Fund Time Management Nursing Education?

Time management has become a necessary skill for everyone, especially for nurses. The average nurse can be assigned to as many as six to eight high-acuity patients per shift. Effective time management can play a crucial role in helping nurses meet the professional demands of their day related to the delivery of quality, safe patient care. Making sure all nurses are trained in time management can be expensive. Planning ahead by funding the time management course through the annual budget is the best way to make sure nurses receive the time management education they need and deserve.

• 1

  Research available time management programs that are geared to meet the needs of nurses. Ask colleagues in other institutions what they have done. Compare the costs and benefits of off-campus programs with in-house training and on-line classes. Ask about group discounts.

• 2

  Contact your education or training department and find out if they already have a time management program or if they would be willing to create a program geared to the needs of the nursing staff. Offer to assist them as needed such as arranging for a room, printing signs, etc.

• 3

  Fund time management training for the nursing staff by allocating money through the education department or as an education line-item on the budget for each department. A request of this sort would have to be made at least one year in advance so the money could be allocated to the budget. You may need to make your case for the advantages of such training although most educators should have an understanding of the benefits of time management training.This would be one method to provide time management for the entire nursing staff.

• 4

  Have the nurses contact the human resources department for the paperwork needed to request tuition reimbursement as part of their employee continuing education benefit. Ask your supervisor or department manager to sign off on your request. Follow your organization's procedure for obtaining approval to attend off-campus educational programs. This method would fund time management nursing education for individual nurses who could then attend the class of their choice when it was convenient for them.

• 5

  Arrange for a nurse educator to attend a time management classes to be trained as "trainer." This training should be funded through the education department. Training an in-house trainer means that when that individual returns, they can provide time management training throughout the organization at anytime. The in-house trainer can provide time management training for the nurses and other staff whenever a need is identified.

• 6

  Include time management education as part of new employee training so that as new staff come on board they will be given the skills needed to do the job and to help prevent nursing burnout. Add time management education to the mandatory annual staff eduction program to promote and improve the use the time management skills.