Surviving the Big One

Surviving the Big One T h e current nursing shortage is predicted to be the big one. It will last longer, go deeper, and be more widespread than previous cyclic shortages. Those of us who continue to work full-time, as our colleagues cut back hours or retire, wonder how we are going to survive. Time and energy become our most precious commodities. The demands on a nurse’s professional time and energy are insatiable, but there also must be time and energy for family and friends. The question is how to find a comfortable balance. The answer to balancing the demands of work and home, managing time, and staying full of energy is different for each of us. Extroverts may use one set of strategies, whereas introverts use another. Clinical nurses have options for controlling work-related stress that are different from the options available to academics or managers. I am an introvert and a manager, a professional and an employee, a wife and a mother, and the aging child of elderly parents. I have found eight survival strategies that work for me: Decide what not to do, leave a clue, organize, plan on it, walk to a solution, blur the lines between work and home, and take care of yourself. These help me to survive-and thrive! Decide what not to do. Having a “not to do” list may be more important than having a “to do” list. Time management is not about getting it all done but deciding what needs to be done. Good time management is about doing things that will make a sizable difference or produce important results. It is about doing things that move you toward your goals rather than responding to the urgent, the immediate, and the trivial. Do it now or leave yourself a clue. Make it impossible to forget. Use memory aids consistently. For example, carry your calendar everywhere; make lists in it. The worst pen is better than the best memory. Organize only as much as you need. Organize your workspace so it is free from clutter. Don’t allow paper to pile up: Handle bills and other

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quick-action items as they come; put project work in files; keep a reading pile, but be realistic about how much you are going to read “later”; and throw most paper into the recycle bin. Handle electronic mail the same way. Plan on it. Estimate the time a project will take, and then double it to accommodate interruptions. Book it on your calendar. Plan each project just enough to get started. Break it into pieces. Think, “What’s the first step?” Later on, ask “What’s the next step?” Walk problems to a solution. The natural desire to solve problems as quickly as possible prevents the identification of all the alternatives. Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it is the only one you’ve got. If you are stuck on a problem at work or an issue at home, or if you are feeling frustrated or angry, try walking. Walking alone, preferably outdoors, slows you down and allows you to be contemplative. Escape. Avoid committees! It is best to limit the time spent serving on committees to those that relate directly to your work goals. Avoid hallways! Hallway gossip wastes time; be the last to know, not the first. Avoid crowds! Come to work earlier or stay later than others so you can have uninterrupted time. Blur the lines between work and home and between professional and personal time. Need time to attend a high school basketball game? Take it. In exchange, be willing to work extra hours, the weekend, or the off shift. Stuck waiting for a child’s music lesson to end? Grab an article from your reading pile, which you keep in your car. Have a huge project to complete? Work at home if that is the best place for you to get it done. Finally, stay fit, eat well, and get enough sleep. Poor aerobic fitness, poor nutrition, and fatigue decrease memory and are counterproductive. When you’re hungry, eat. When you’re tired, sleep. Take time to care for yourself. Karen B. Haller, RN, PhD Editor

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