Introduction

Time is one of the most valuable assets of human beings, so it must be used correctly and cautiously. Conceptualizing time is not an easy task. Time has several dimensions and its concepts differ between the historical and physical sciences¹ While Plato associated time with eternity; for Aristotle time is directly linked to movement, and for Saint Augustine, the past is a time that no longer exists and the future is a time that does not yet exist, but when conceptualizing time in this way the present also ceases to exist, since what a second ago was present has already become past and ceased to exist². Thus, it is clear how conceptualizing time is an almost impossible task. The fact is that time cannot be stopped, and on many occasions, individuals are faced with the lack of this valuable resource to carry out all their daily tasks. It is not possible to stop time, but it is possible to learn to manage it.

Time management is completing work in the planned period³. Time management improves professional performance through analysis and planning⁴. Knowing how to use time is not enough to understand and apply time management principles³. To use time wisely, it is necessary to know what kind of problems will be encountered and also to recognize their causes. Based on this, individuals, who manage their time better, learn to improve their efficiency and reach success; therefore, managing time requires personal skills and determination³

Following the evolution of humanity, various sectors are rapidly renewed over time, one of the sectors in which more changes and innovations arise all the time is the health sector, so the health needs of individuals are increasingly varied and must be met quickly and efficiently⁵. Thus, time management has a fundamental value for health care workers, especially for the nursing team⁶. Nurses perform multiple functions in a time limited by the variety and severity of patients’ needs; the urgency of such care; the need to deliver care without making mistakes; and shortages of medical supplies and human resources^5)(7)(8.

It is important to emphasize here the important role of nurse managers, who must know how to manage time, both to perform their administrative and care duties, as well as to guide other team members in the use of this scarce and, therefore, valuable resource, which is the time^4). Despite the importance of time management for nursing, this subject is not properly discussed in the area⁹. Given the relevance of this topic, the present article aimed to reflect on the importance of time management for nursing.

Time management in the nursing field

Nursing is a science and an art, which encompasses direct and indirect care activities¹⁰ Nursing professionals are caregivers, administrators, educators, and researchers, who need to manage their time well to perform all their functions⁹. The direct care activities performed by the professional cover the physiological and psychosocial dimensions of the patient, while the indirect ones involve interdisciplinary activities and administration of the care process, aiming to provide qualified care⁵⁾⁽¹⁰.

Studies carried out in different countries have shown that staff nurses spent more time on indirect activities than on direct care^5)(11)(12, that time management skills training may help improve the quality of care⁹, and that the ability to manage time is an important factor for the success of novice nurses⁸. Getting meaningful reports using tracking tools was pointed out as a great strategy to save time and reduce the risk of making medical errors, which means that developing clear and correct communication and keeping consistent notes about patients is important to avoid wasting time⁸. In addition, estimating workload; seeking help from other team members; sharing the tasks¹³, managing needed material and medicines; checking laboratory results; planning daily routine¹², getting to work on time; interacting with patients at the beginning of the shift to determine their needs; routinely checking for new orders from physicians; predicting physicians’ rounds; keeping track of treatments, exams, and discharges; being ready for shift change; and preparing for crises are other important factors for good time management^8). It is also important that nursing professionals have time to rest, eat properly and socialize⁸⁾⁽¹².

Nurse managers face time pressure all the time; tasks related to patient safety and satisfaction, planning and training of staff, interaction with other members of the healthcare team, and changes in procedures and health policies are some of the factors responsible for this pressure on nursing leaders⁷. A study conducted in Portugal pointed out that nurse managers spend more time performing activities related to patients’ needs and evaluating the tasks performed by other members of the nursing team, and spend less time on tasks related to promoting the training and motivation of team members⁴. According to a study carried out in China, general self-efficacy, depression, experience in management, and self-control can be predictive factors of time management disposition among nurse managers¹⁴. Time management skills are believed to improve as nurse managers become more experienced¹⁵.

Nursing care must focus on the individual, thus a consistent relationship between the nursing professional and the patient/family/community must be developed¹¹ Therefore, a therapeutic relationship must be kept to help individuals maintain or recover their health¹¹ Thus, nursing professionals must be involved in a care process based on a scientific, holistic, and humanized approach. This whole process takes time to establish the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs of the individual who needs care. It is not possible to determine these needs being far away from the patient dealing with indirect care tasks.

When nursing professionals do not use their time correctly, both themselves and the patients are harmed. The quality of care decreases, as does the motivation of the nursing team⁵⁾⁽⁹. By not managing time properly, the nursing professional interacts less with the patient, pays less attention to the patient’s psychosocial needs, often focusing only on the physical dimension of care, thus not offering holistic care and feeling dissatisfied as a professional^5)(7)(8)(12.

There is a need for actions to improve the skills of nursing managers to manage time and in this way encourage them to make efforts to increase the efficiency and quality of nursing management¹⁴⁾⁽¹⁵. Time management training should be included in continuing education courses for nursing professionals since a correct use of time during the development of their duties will make nursing team members more motivated and satisfied, which will positively reflect on the quality of care provided by them^6)(7)(9)(11.

Emphasizing that time is scarce is not a solution to the pressures suffered by lack of time. In fact, there is no lack of time, as individuals every day have the same amount of hours, minutes, and seconds to carry out their tasks; there is a lack of planning. Based on this certainty, individuals must learn to use their time better. For nursing, a profession with numerous functions, time management is something that cannot be neglected. Greater importance should be given to the subject, both in educational institutions to prepare students for professional life and in healthcare institutions to help nurses develop skills to manage time, and, thus increase the quality of care.

Final Considerations

Through this reflection, it was determined that despite the notorious importance of time management for nursing, very little is done for nurses to develop knowledge and skills to better manage time. Time management in health institutions brings benefits to the patient, the health professional, and consequently to the entire community, in addition to promoting the organization’s credibility. The appropriate use of time can directly interfere with the quality of care and should therefore be evaluated as an important part of the care process. In addition, the correct use of time can help to reduce the dissatisfactions that consume the energy of the nursing team. Nurses can save time, extend the available time and avoid waste of time through efficient communication, adequate use of technologies, sufficient interaction with patients, division of labor, and knowledge of the routine of the unit.

This reflection is important to rethink nursing, not only concerning the number of different tasks that must be carried out in a short period of time but also to reflect on the time that the professional spends performing indirect care. Nurses should spend more time on direct patient care; they should receive training to better manage time, which would positively affect the quality of care, allowing the nursing team to be more satisfied and motivated while performing their duties. Administrators of health institutions and especially nurse managers should pay attention to the importance of training nursing professionals in time management. Therefore, nurse managers themselves must have the knowledge to better analyze situations and plan their tasks so that time is used effectively and efficiently. It is essential to use time correctly, because every second of life is part of a great fortune, and in the health field, a second can represent the difference that will save someone’s life. This reflection is expected to promote new studies using different methodological designs to evaluate the importance of time management in the nursing field.