Nurses have to face multiple challenges throughout their careers. Being a nurse may feel like a smooth ride, but that’s far from being true. Long shift hours, unpredictable schedules, night shifts, etc., are some of the most common challenges nurses have to deal with on a daily basis. On top of that, having to manage personal responsibilities alongside work is the main reason many nurses feel stressed and anxious all the time.
It gets tough to manage work and family life simultaneously because of the long and hectic work hours. However, it is essential to save some time for yourself and your family. Only then will you feel relaxed and motivated to perform your job to the best of your abilities. In this article, we will discuss some tips that can help you manage your work and personal life:
Advance your career online
Most nurses find it tough to manage work and family life due to the lack and mismanagement of time. Long and unpredictable work hours make nursing a hectic job. Ambitious nurses may also wish to pursue advanced studies and upgrade their positions as healthcare providers without giving up on their job. However, studying alongside work leaves little to no time for family.
You can advance your career by opting for an online advanced nursing program instead of going to campus for a degree. An online nursing program from an accredited college is no less than a traditional on-campus degree. For example, an online post-masters nursing certificate from Regis College is highly valued. It will boost your career, and you won’t have to compromise your personal life to advance your studies.
Perhaps you might think that finding resources for studying for different certifications is time-consuming and challenging to combine with work and personal life. However, it is not as difficult to discover reliable materials in today's digital age. For example, let's take the CNA exam, which is essential for becoming a certified nursing assistant. It evaluates the knowledge and skills necessary to practice safely and effectively as an entry-level nurse. If you're looking to prepare for this exam, you can search for 17 free study guides on Career Employer exam prep site, practice questions and exams provided by Nursehub and many more platforms, which will help you to get ready without any significant difficulties.
Spend time with family
Time management is an essential requirement for a work-life balance. Understandably, nursing is a tough job, and taking time out for other activities can be hard. However, to create a balance between your personal and professional life, you must schedule some family time. Remember to sit with them every day and discuss work life and experiences. Eat meals with your family and catch up with them.
To ensure your family is not getting neglected, you can go out on weekends and spend quality time together. It can be a mini getaway like shopping, lunch, or dinner. It will not only create a balance in your life, but you will also feel more relaxed and energized for the coming week.
Create work boundaries
One important step in creating a work-life balance is to leave work at the workplace. When you are at home, keep that time for your family. As a nurse, you will have many opportunities to boost your income by working overtime. Additional part-time job opportunities also serve as a salary boost. However, if you want to manage your work and family life better, you will have to avoid extra work and devote that time to your family instead. Do not say yes to job opportunities that don’t suit your family life and responsibilities. Also, when you return home from your shift, avoid checking emails and other work-related queries.
Advancing your career typically comes with an income boost, in which case a tax bracket calculator can be helpful. However, even though it's hard to imagine a scenario where more money becomes problematic, it is important to realize that more money typically comes with a particularly significant cost—your quality time!
Prioritize self-care
Nursing can get physically and emotionally exhausting due to irregular and long work hours with little or no breaks in between. No matter how hard it may seem, you must take time out for yourself and practice self-care. It is because if you are not feeling your best, you cannot maintain a balance between work and personal life.
Be sure to take little breaks during and after your shift hours. Even if you have a busy schedule, take care of your diet, and add a significant amount of exercise to your routine. Also, try to add some relaxation activities to your daily routine, such as meditation, yoga, etc. Self-care is important for nurses because if your mental and physical health is perfect, you will perform your work duties and family responsibilities to the best of your abilities.
- Communicate with your family
Feelings of stress and anxiety are common in nurse practitioners. There will be times when you feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities. In such times, remember to communicate with your family about how you are feeling. Tell your partner about the challenges you face at work and how it affects your mental or physical health. Talking to them about your problems will most likely give you a solution.
Communication will also strengthen your relationship with your family, and you will understand each other better. There will be fewer conflicts. Lack of communication causes misunderstandings. The main purpose of communication is to prioritize the connection with your family. It will have an overall positive impact on your life.
Ask for help
If you feel the need for help, ask for it. Managing everything on your own is great, but asking for help is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, if you do everything on your own without any assistance, it may result in burnout and fatigue. It will also negatively affect your work. You can ask your coworkers to assist you at work; they will understand the situation you are in.
Similarly, you can also ask your family members to share responsibilities with you. Let’s not deny that returning home from work and doing the home chores alone is exhausting. Ask them to share home chores with you so you have enough time for other activities.
Outsource household chores
If your family cannot assist in chores, you can outsource them. Outsourcing household chores, such as cleaning, dusting, pet care, and grocery shopping, will make your life easier. It will also spare you enough time to spend with your family. First, determine the chores that take up the most time, and then find a way to finish them. For example, you can hire someone for cleaning, and groceries can be ordered online. Taking such measures will help create a balance between work and family life.
Conclusion
Nursing is a challenging job, and it can get tough to balance personal and professional life due to the long work hours. However, you can manage work and family together by taking some essential steps. You can start by saying no to extra work, prioritizing family time, and practicing self-care. Adding additional activities, such as exercises, will also be helpful because you will be more relaxed and energized. Remember to communicate with your family about your work and priorities. In a nutshell, it’s not easy to balance work, studies, and personal life, but you don’t need to be hard on yourself; follow the tips above, and we’re sure you’ll find it easier to manage everything.
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