How do you balance patient care and administrative duties as a charge nurse?

"I balance my job as a charge nurse by staying extremely organized. My administrative duties are input into my time-management software, so I have alerts when things are due. I take care of my patients first and work on administrative duties between patient care."

"I always take care of my patients first, as they are my top priority. I then complete my administrative duties, which I have on a spreadsheet on my computer. Every morning, I list what needs to be done and prioritize the most urgent tasks. I also have no problem delegating duties to other nursing staff, which gives them the knowledge and confidence needed if they decide to promote to a charge nurse."

I always prioritize patient care and safety first. Once I have the patient's immediate needs taken care of, I can work on the administrative tasks. I keep a list of administrative tasks and a calendar on my computer to help keep me organized. Once important thing I have learned in nursing and management is to remain flexible because the day almost never goes like you planned it. I have excellent time management skills and pride myself on being able to complete what I have set out to do each day.