Whether you’re studying to become a pharmacy technician, a certified medical assistant or any other number of medical positions, scheduling smartly will be key to your success in the field. Considering that these professions tend to require a higher degree of endurance than other careers may, it’s important that you understand the value of your time and how to best preserve your energy. Going about the job without the proper scheduling tactics and techniques can lead to a scenario in which you’re too exhausted to perform at the peak of your abilities, and nobody wants that. With this in mind, take a look at some of these schedule management tips for the medical world.
Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize
More than anything, it will be vital that you learn to set up your day so that you are allocating enough energy to your highest priority tasks. In order to do this, take a few minutes when you aren’t at work to think about the structure of your workday. If you have the capacity to move your schedule around at all, it can be extremely helpful to position your most important tasks and responsibilities at points in the day when you tend to have the most energy. For example, if you aren’t really a morning person, then filling out documentation paperwork at nine a.m. may not be the best choice. Though it can be hard to take time off work to make these considerations, you should see benefits relatively quickly from this process.
Establish Personal and Professional Goals
In any high impact career, the medical field certainly included, it can be far too easy to get caught up in the daily grind. While this is understandable considering the vast level of responsibility you will have placed upon you, it’s important to avoid this scenario at all costs. One of the best ways to get around this is by establishing personal and professional goals. During your next performance review, take some time with your supervisor to discuss goals you can set for the near future. According to Power Your Practice, having goals for a 30, 60 and 90 day horizon can help you gain a sense of progress in your job.1 You may also find that having tangible goals helps you find motivation to perform at your highest level professionally. Plus, there’s always the added benefit that sharing these goals with your managers or supervisors will allow them to see you moving forward in a preestablished framework. That narrative of progress just might boost your odds of a promotion.
Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Something
When you’re caught up in the daily flurry of assignments and such, it can be hard to rationalize asking your superiors for something. It’s important, though, that you aren’t afraid to go to them when you need help. These individuals are trained to manage a staff and are more than likely to be able to not only help you with your immediate problem, but also advise on how to avoid it repeating itself. As NurseTogether has reported, this sort of communication can help to reduce overall stress levels and make your day that much easier.2 For example, if you feel that there’s something that your managers could be giving you to keep you more organized and driven, they’re probably willing to hear you out.
1) Power Your Practice, ‘6 Time Management Tips for Healthcare Professionals, 2015, http://www.poweryourpractice.com/practice-management/6-time-management-tips-for-healthcare-professionals/
2) Bynes, Catherine, Nurse Together, ‘5 Time Management Tips For Busy Nurses, 1/17/2013, http://www.nursetogether.com/5-time-management-tips-for-busy-nurses
