In 2020, our nurses and doctors contributed heavily to the global battle against COVID-19 during an ongoing pandemic. From preventing further infections to treating patients suffering from the coronavirus – they served the nation even at the expense of their lives. It’s been revealed by Euro News that some 115,000 healthcare professionals have died of COVID. However, modern-day nurses are concerned about honing their performance and becoming more productive. Statistics show that over two-thirds of nurses make medical mistakes such as wrong diagnoses and incorrect infusion rates. How can a nurse prevent such errors from taking place again? Here are some suggestions on improving nurses’ work performance:
- Maintain Healthy Connections
Nurses can’t improve their performance without bolstering work-related connections. A nurse’s duties may appear demanding and overburdening sometimes. Some RNs also encounter situations where they have to resolve conflicts or serve as intermediaries between two conflicting parties. So, it would help if you didn’t neglect to work on your conflict resolution capabilities. It can help you reach your real potential as a healthcare professional. The next thing you must do is to acquire more education.
- Expand Your Academic Expertise
How can nurses find some extra time from their busy schedules to acquire further learning? Today, nurses can expand their academic expertise by leveraging distance learning programs. You can find several e-learning opportunities to resume your education digitally. Nurses can enroll themselves in online post master’s certificate nurse practitioner programs to strengthen their advanced education. These certificates help nurses acquire the skills they need to become better at this profession. You should also try to acquire a certificate in PALS if you’re planning on advancing in your career as a nurse.
- Keep Yourself Updated
Medical science has become a rapidly evolving field. Thousands of articles are published every year, and – as the coronavirus continues mutating – medical research has been accelerated. We now have telehealth dominating the future of caregiving in the post-COVID world. So, we recommend nurses keep themselves updated and acquire digital abilities to remain relevant in the future. The internet can become your good source of information where you can read medical journals and magazines.
- Become a Critical Thinker
Both nurses and doctors often come across situations where they must make quick decisions to save someone’s life. So, RNs should focus on honing their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. It’ll help them decide what’s best for a patient on the spot while enabling them to control situations on-site. You can’t deliver high-quality performance without working on your critical-thinking abilities.
- Avoid Distractions
It’s impossible to become a better nurse without avoiding distractions. As a primary caregiver, you must hone your ability to concentrate on patients and their afflictions. A study shows that RNs are interrupted six times/hours on average. These distractions compel nurses to adopt multitasking that further disrupts their productivity, thereby leading to medical mistakes. So, we suggest nurses must hide while trying to finish documentation. Find solace in solitude and an escape from distractions!
- Review Your Charting
Statistics show that nurses aren’t immune to medical mistakes, with intravenous injections being the most common errors. So, how can RNs eliminate these errors and become better nurses? Reviewing your charting can help you overcome medical mistakes. When your shift ends, remember to review the charting. If you’ve forgotten to chart something, rectify that mistake before it becomes serious! You can protect your nursing license while also delivering the right care to your patients with this.
- Focus on Self-Care
Many nurses habitually neglect their mental and physical well-being while engaged at work. It’s harmful to RNs to ignore their health since it’ll eventually affect their performance. Studies show that nurses aren’t getting the required 7-9 hours of daily sleep. Don’t sacrifice a much-deserved rest for extra shifts, as it can harm your productivity. Take frequent breaks to consume nutritious meals and regain your energy. Avoid committing to a sedentary lifestyle as it can restrict your physical activity.
- Exercise More Often
Nurses can improve their cognitive function to become better at this job! We have some tips to help you activate your brain’s full potential and bolster your mental sharpness. These tips include staying hydrated, meditating frequently, and exercising more often. A steady workout routine won’t just make your body functioning but your mind strong as well. Exercise’s linked with releasing a chemical named dopamine that boosts happiness and helps you feel self-sufficient.
- Communicate Effectively
Nurses should improve their communication capabilities to become better caregivers. Almost every occupation today requires these skills, without which you can’t communicate effectively with your colleagues and superiors. A nurse must listen actively to patients and respond properly to their queries. It helps you educate the patients and communicate their problems to physicians. We advise RNs to bolster verbal and non-nonverbal communication to become better at this profession.
- Join a Committee
It’s crucial to remain socially connected and networked with other members of your community. So, we recommend nurses join committees to improve their relations! It can help you broaden your background as a registered nurse while connecting you with potential mentors. A mentor can help you become a better nurse by giving you work-related suggestions your coworkers might not know about. You can also invoke these social connections when faced with problems as a nurse.
Conclusion
How many nurses are productive at work? The answer isn’t as simple as you may imagine! Many nurses have overworked themselves, thereby curbing their productivity and acquiring stress and fatigue. Many RNs have now become burnout victims because they don’t follow the right techniques to increase productivity. Nurse leaders can increase their coworkers’ work performance by empowering RNs and giving them autonomy. Establishing healthy relationships at work also bolsters their overall efficacy. Hence, these tips help RNs become more productive and efficient.
