In dynamic situations a nurse keeps an overview by prioritising, communicating clearly and handing over briefly and in a structured way. That calm carries over to the team and to the clients.
A fall in the corridor, a client who is deteriorating, a phone that will not stop ringing and a colleague who goes home sick. In care it regularly happens that everything comes at once. I keep an overview, even in dynamic situations. In this article you can read how I approach this and what you as a team can do to stay calm.
The first reflex when things get busy is often to start doing straight away. Yet it pays to pause for a moment: what is going on, what is most urgent, who is available? A few seconds of overview prevents you starting on the wrong task or leaving something important undone. Calm starts with the way you yourself approach the situation.
Not everything is equally urgent. A client who is short of breath comes before a report that still needs writing. That seems obvious, but on a busy shift it quickly slips out of view. I work with a simple order: client safety first, then whatever is time-critical, and then the rest.
When it is busy, the chance of misunderstandings increases. Short, clear sentences help: who does what, and when will we speak again? A fixed structure also works when calling in a doctor or a colleague. With the SBAR method you convey the situation, background, your assessment and your request in a few sentences. How this works is explained on the page SBAR handover in practice.
When I work temporarily on a ward, I do not yet know the team and the clients as well as the permanent staff. That is exactly when calm matters. I ask questions, coordinate and take responsibility independently for what I can oversee. When the team is short, for example due to illness, such cover can take the pressure off; you can read more about this under a temporary nurse during sickness absence.
In residential elderly care I often notice that clients respond directly to the atmosphere on the ward. A calm nurse really makes a difference then.
Once the situation is over, take a moment to look back. What went well, what could be better, does anything need to be recorded or reported? A short debrief helps the team learn from it and prevents the same bottlenecks from recurring. The handover to the next shift also deserves extra care after a busy shift, so that nothing gets lost.
I help with this through nursing cover and consistent working agreements. Want to know what that means for your organisation? Schedule an introduction.
At the start of each shift, agree who keeps the overview when things get busy. Then everyone knows who to turn to.
By first taking stock, prioritising and coordinating clearly with the team. Calm, overview and clear communication are the foundation for me.
I can start quickly with minimal induction time. Whether an assignment fits, we always discuss together first, even when it is urgent.
Yes, a fixed structure such as SBAR ensures that important information is handed over briefly and completely, precisely when time is tight.
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