As the nursing shortage and crisis in staffing dominate healthcare, an article we wrote for Nursing2004 is still relevant. We updated it and offer this advice in time for Nurses' Week this May:
1. Prioritize assignments
Review and prioritize patient needs and nursing activities as high, medium, or low. Start with high-priority activities. Medium-priority duties, follow. Low-priority activities may be delegated to assistive personnel, family, or volunteers as appropriate.
2. Organize the workload
After receiving report, determine patient-care needs. Gather equipment and supplies before entering a patient's room. Ask support personnel to retrieve missing items.
3. Be a team player
Advocate that no one sits until everyone can sit. Freely help others. Teamwork creates coworker bonds, makes workloads bearable, and enhances patient safety.
4. Delegate wisely
Know what can be delegated according to state nursing regulations and job descriptions.
5. Recruit additional help
Engage other staff to distribute the workload. The unit clerk, for example, can facilitate communication and order supplies.
6. Communicate effectively and professionally
Clearly communicate the plan for surviving the staff shortage. Safeguard the feelings and dignity of team members. Avoid speaking in a demeaning or condescending way. Supporting each other and being kind lowers stress for everyone.
7. Inform and involve nursing leaders
Inform nurse leaders when staffing is inadequate. They may be able to call in staff, offer overtime or incentive pay, reallocate staff, or employ agency staff. Leaders may also navigate barriers and suspend time-consuming requests like data collection.
8. Encourage family participation
Ask family who are visiting if they want to help. If amenable, offer suggestions such as assisting with meals. Thank them.
9. Remain positive
Manage challenging situations with a positive, can-do approach to foster morale and teamwork. Reframe the situation and use creative problem-solving to generate camaraderie and a sense of mastery over obstacles.
10. Take care of you
During each shift, take a break from caregiving, even if briefly. Eat a healthy diet, get enough rest and exercise.
LINDA LASKOWSKI-JONES, MS, APRN, ACNS-BC, CEN, NEA-BC, FAWM, FAAN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, NURSING2023
KAREN TOULSON, DNP, MBA, RN, CEN
PLANNER, STATE OF DELAWARE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES, PREPAREDNESS SECTION