If you're looking into working per diem nursing jobs, but are also juggling other responsibilities, then productivity needs to be a priority for you. Nursa™ is not only an RN staffing agency, we're an LPN staffing agency, a CNA staffing agency, and a CMA staffing agency.We provide per diem shift solutions connecting medical professionals directly to PRN opportunities with facilities through our application. Here we've compiled a list of things you can do to maximize your productivity and make becoming a PRN nurse not only an attainable goal but a sustainable and successful professional choice.
Other Responsibilities
RNs, LPNs, CMAs, and CNAs working per diem shifts have the opportunity to make extra cash to help out their families, and their financial situations. Lots of our PRN medical workers juggle other responsibilities on top of their PRN shifts. Typical other responsibilities include:
- Some of our PRN staff have other full time or part time jobs
- Some of our PRN staff are responsible for taking care of other family members and their households
- Some of our PRN staff are retired and have other hobbies
- Some of our PRN staff have their own businesses
This balancing act of productivity is possible for them and for you. Here's how!
Start Your Day with a Routine
Starting your day with a routine is important! Routines help us feel in control, and when we have a lot that needs doing, a sense of control can help keep feelings of being overwhelmed at bay. If your schedule involves working night shifts, then substitute the word "day" here for "afternoon" or "night". What I mean to capture here is whenever you wake up to get started. Your routine doesn't need to be overly involved or long. The key is the routine part of it so that as your mind and body are waking up, you know what to do without having to think to hard about it.
Make Your Bed
This one might sound condescending, but I assure you, it is not! Making your bed first thing when you wake up in the morning helps you with two things. Firstly, once you've made your bed you are less likely to give into the temptation to crawl back into it and snooze for a bit longer. Secondly, it is a simple act that gets completed, getting you set on the track of being productive right away.
Eat Breakfast
Eat! Incorporate breaking your fast as part of your routine when starting the day. Your brain needs glucose for mental performance power, and glucose comes with eating. Consider that breaking your fast comes after sleeping for six to eight hours (ideally) and you probably didn't eat right before you went to bed, so your body and your brain are operating on as much as ten hours since your last fuel intake. Feed your body and your brain a healthy breakfast to jumpstart your productivity.
Drink Water
Drinking water cannot be understated in its importance. Your body is made up of 60% water and this water is an integral part of lots of the necessary functions your body performs including:
- providing oxygen to your cells
- bringing nutrients to your cells
- helping to regulate your body temperature
- helping to smooth your joint functions
Furthermore, dehydration negatively affects your mental performance of memorization, learning, and completing tasks (hello productivity!).
You Need Sleep
Make sure you are getting sufficient sleep, not just cat naps here and there, but a block of sleep that is at least six to eat hours. Your mind and your body need this time to rest and reboot. You will feel better when you are properly rested. Feeling better will allow you to be more productive.
Make Lists
Nurses are no strangers to lists, so this one should be a natural for you. Consider writing up your to-do list the night before so to settle your mind before going to bed. Thoughts of all the things that you need to get done the next days can swirl around in our brains and get in the way of being able to sleep. Writing up a list with specific tasks on it can help settle your thoughts.If your week seems particularly busy, consider writing up a list of things that need to be done for the entire week and then looking at your schedule to choose which days are best organized for certain tasks.If you prefer using your smart phone for to-do lists as opposed to pen and paper, the applications Evernote or CommitTo3 offer functions for making lists, accountability measures, and of course offer you that good feeling of checking off a task once completed.
Schedule Your PRN Shifts with Nursa™
Making your to-do lists is great for productivity, and it's great for scheduling your PRN shifts. We've made it easier than ever to work per diem nursing shifts as your schedule permits. Once you've made your list for the day, or the week, open the Nursa™ app on your phone and scroll through the available PRN shifts. Select the one or ones that fit with your schedule and apply directly through the app! All you have to do is register and create your professional profile. The Nursa™ app serves also as a digital portfolio for your nursing license and skills certifications. Share them with facilities directly through the app when you apply for a PRN shift.
Bottom Line
The bottom line about your productivity is that you have to make the choices, make the decisions to do things that can help you be more productive. That said, when life is a juggle or a balancing act, there may be times when you don't make the best choices. Occasionally a having a show binge on Netflix instead of a good bedtime, or maybe eating the random chocolate ice cream for breakfast... You are human. Don't beat yourself up about the choices that end up not feeling like a good idea later. Make a mental note about them and move forward!
