Maintaining harmony between parenthood and a nursing career requires one to be effective with time management and good communication.

Are you one of those nurses who are looking for answers on how to manage family life and nursing career together? Well, you’re not alone! Working as a nurse is not that easy especially if at the same time you are also dealing with life as a parent and spouse. In this case, balancing is the key! It will cause you hard times in the aspects of your physical, mental and emotional health if you are not able to come up with ways to balance the situation.

There are ways in maintaining harmony in parenthood and nursing career.

Let’s check this out!

• Establish clear communication – make sure to discuss responsibilities with your partner like your roles in parenting and household tasks that should be done on a daily basis. Good communication is one of the best solution in every struggling situation. Be open to your husband or wife regarding the things that you cannot do and the things that you can do as well.
• Make a realistic schedule – create an organized schedule of your work-duties and commitments. Prioritize tasks based on what is most important and what is to be done first.
• Don’t be ashamed to ask for the support of family, friends, child care services if you need to. Having a trusted support system can help you ease the challenges of working and parenting.
• Practice self-care – have that time for yourself, such as brisk walking, pampering, eating your favorite food and etc. A well nurtured mind and body equips someone to manage responsibilities better.
• Be flexible – learn to recognize unexpected events that may occur. Be adaptable to changes in your schedule and be able to communicate it to your partner and employer.
• Invest in quality time – make the most of your time with your family. Engage in meaningful conversations, happy activities, creating positive environments and putting away distractions.
• Setting boundaries – create clear boundaries between your life as a parent and life at work. Take your rest days from work as time to focus on yourself and your family. Don’t let work related stresses to interfere with your family bonding.
• Use time saving strategies – adapt some ways to optimize your time, such as organizing your tasks for the week, meal planning, and using effective time management tools.
• Negotiate work arrangements – explore some options like having flexible hours, part time work or any work arrangements that you think can suit your situation. Be able to discuss it with your employer.
• Reevaluate your situation – assess how well your current situation or routine affects your life as a parent or employee. Learn to adjust as necessary as the circumstances change.

Balancing these two important things in your life will make you a happier person, parent, unstressed employee and an effective nurse to your patients.