i found some extra time . . .

NURSING.com sent this email to their subscribers on October 29, 2024.

NURSING.com,

I love playing on the teeter-totter with my kids. It’s funny, a bit sad, and even comical sometimes.

They sit down, and because of our weight difference, they end up stuck, dangling helplessly in the air, feet just swinging.

During nursing school, I often felt the same—dangling, out of balance, struggling to juggle family, kids, nursing school, finances, health... everything. Every day, I had to make a conscious decision about what I’d sacrifice—not if I would sacrifice.

Would it be study time?
Would it be time with my kids?
Or would it be sleep?

Erika, a NURSING.com student, recently shared this with me:

“How do I balance family, being a parent to young kiddos, and school? It’s really hard doing homework only after kiddo goes down in the evenings. I’m either sacrificing study time or sleep.”

You’re probably nodding in agreement because you know this struggle all too well.

Now, what if I could share a prioritization method that could help you feel more balanced, starting today?

We surveyed 300 NURSING.com students who found they save about four hours of study time each week with this method.

Would you want that?

(first, I want to hear YOUR voice - I want to know what will help YOU get your life back as a nursing student - would you go here and vote for the thing that would most help YOU get your life back? Here: nursing.com/vote)

Before we jump into it, I want to share a bit more about my journey and my own battle for balance in nursing school. Because, to be honest, it was incredibly difficult for me, too.

When I started nursing school, my wife and I moved about a thousand miles from our family and friends in Texas to Illinois so I could attend a second-degree nursing program. At the time, my wife was five months pregnant, and she was working full days while I studied and then went to school at night.

Saturday and Sunday, I was in the hospital for 6-12 hour clinicals, and I’d have classes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights, trying to squeeze in studying wherever I could. Then, at the end of my first semester, our son was born with health challenges that kept him in the NICU for a few weeks, requiring multiple surgeries in that first year.

I was balancing being there for him, supporting my wife, and keeping up with the intense demands of a second-degree nursing program.

Ready to hear this method?

It’s simple, but it’s something that some people might set aside as too easy, even “rubbish.” But if you give it a try, I know it can make an immediate difference.

The ABCDE Prioritization Framework

This method really clicked for me because it felt similar to the ABCs in nursing—airway, breathing, circulation. And I knew it made sense from day one.

Here’s how it works: Like it or not, you have to give everything a priority.

Everything . . .

With ABCDE, you consciously rank all your tasks and responsibilities from A to E.

It’s either an A, a B, a C, a D, or an E.

Here’s the breakdown:

A tasks are crucial—things that absolutely must be done or have serious consequences.
B tasks should be done but have mild consequences if you don’t do them. Never do B tasks when A tasks are left undone.
C tasks are even less important and don’t have real consequences if left undone.
D tasks? Delegate or wait to do them.
E tasks are ones you can eliminate entirely, and it won’t make any difference at all.

Let’s see how this plays out in real life.

What Would Help You Get Your Life Back?

In nursing school, not all assignments or classes are created equal. Imagine you’re taking MedSurg and Nursing Research at the same time. MedSurg is a 4-credit course, and Research is only 2 credits.

So if I don’t do well in MedSurg, it has a much bigger impact than not doing well in Research. MedSurg has to be an A priority.

When it comes to balancing kids, work, and school, family is always an A.

But within family responsibilities, I can further prioritize—playing with my kids is an A. Vacuuming the floor? That’s a C or maybe even an E. This lets me focus on the most important family tasks and free up more time for studying or resting.

Every five minutes you save here and there adds up to a lot of time over a week.

The hardest part? Being honest about what the As really are and what the Cs and Es are. We might want certain things to be As, but they might not be.

Tonight . . .

Tonight, grab a piece of paper and list out your responsibilities.

Label each one A, B, C, D, or E.

Do you have a job? Is it an A or a C? Is time with friends a B or an E? How about exercise, or that OB course vs. your Community Health course?

Each Monday, review your upcoming week and assign ABCDE to everything. Then, give yourself grace if you don’t get to those Cs, Ds, and Es. It’s okay.

You are prioritizing what matters most to you, and yes, that means some things will get “dropped.” But it’s your life, and you’re telling your own story.

This isn’t easy. Time is precious, and as a nursing student, everything can feel stacked against you.

But I want to know what would help YOU most.

Will you let YOUR voice be heard?

Visit NURSING.com/vote to tell us what will help you reclaim your sacred time—what you truly need.

This is your invitation to share your voice.

What Would Help You Get Your Life Back?

Happy Nursing!

-Jon Haws, RN

p.s. we love your guys . . . I sincerely hope this helps

Text-only version of this email

NURSING.com, I love playing on the teeter-totter with my kids. It’s funny, a bit sad, and even comical sometimes. They sit down, and because of our weight difference, they end up stuck, dangling helplessly in the air, feet just swinging. During nursing school, I often felt the same—dangling, out of balance, struggling to juggle family, kids, nursing school, finances, health... everything. Every day, I had to make a conscious decision about what I’d sacrifice—not if I would sacrifice. Would it be study time? Would it be time with my kids? Or would it be sleep? Erika, a NURSING.com student, recently shared this with me: “How do I balance family, being a parent to young kiddos, and school? It’s really hard doing homework only after kiddo goes down in the evenings. I’m either sacrificing study time or sleep.” You’re probably nodding in agreement because you know this struggle all too well. Now, what if I could share a prioritization method that could help you feel more balanced, starting today? We surveyed 300 NURSING.com students who found they save about four hours of study time each week with this method. Would you want that? (first, I want to hear YOUR voice - I want to know what will help YOU get your life back as a nursing student - would you go here and vote for the thing that would most help YOU get your life back? Here: nursing.com/vote) Before we jump into it, I want to share a bit more about my journey and my own battle for balance in nursing school. Because, to be honest, it was incredibly difficult for me, too. When I started nursing school, my wife and I moved about a thousand miles from our family and friends in Texas to Illinois so I could attend a second-degree nursing program. At the time, my wife was five months pregnant, and she was working full days while I studied and then went to school at night. Saturday and Sunday, I was in the hospital for 6-12 hour clinicals, and I’d have classes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights, trying to squeeze in studying wherever I could. Then, at the end of my first semester, our son was born with health challenges that kept him in the NICU for a few weeks, requiring multiple surgeries in that first year. I was balancing being there for him, supporting my wife, and keeping up with the intense demands of a second-degree nursing program. Ready to hear this method? It’s simple, but it’s something that some people might set aside as too easy, even “rubbish.” But if you give it a try, I know it can make an immediate difference. The ABCDE Prioritization Framework This method really clicked for me because it felt similar to the ABCs in nursing—airway, breathing, circulation. And I knew it made sense from day one. Here’s how it works: Like it or not, you have to give everything a priority. Everything . . . With ABCDE, you consciously rank all your tasks and responsibilities from A to E. It’s either an A, a B, a C, a D, or an E. Here’s the breakdown: * A tasks are crucial—things that absolutely must be done or have serious consequences. * B tasks should be done but have mild consequences if you don’t do them. Never do B tasks when A tasks are left undone. * C tasks are even less important and don’t have real consequences if left undone. * D tasks? Delegate or wait to do them. * E tasks are ones you can eliminate entirely, and it won’t make any difference at all. Let’s see how this plays out in real life. prioritize vote What Would Help You Get Your Life Back? In nursing school, not all assignments or classes are created equal. Imagine you’re taking MedSurg and Nursing Research at the same time. MedSurg is a 4-credit course, and Research is only 2 credits. So if I don’t do well in MedSurg, it has a much bigger impact than not doing well in Research. MedSurg has to be an A priority. When it comes to balancing kids, work, and school, family is always an A. But within family responsibilities, I can further prioritize—playing with my kids is an A. Vacuuming the floor? That’s a C or maybe even an E. This lets me focus on the most important family tasks and free up more time for studying or resting. Every five minutes you save here and there adds up to a lot of time over a week. The hardest part? Being honest about what the As really are and what the Cs and Es are. We might want certain things to be As, but they might not be. Tonight . . . Tonight, grab a piece of paper and list out your responsibilities. Label each one A, B, C, D, or E. Do you have a job? Is it an A or a C? Is time with friends a B or an E? How about exercise, or that OB course vs. your Community Health course? Each Monday, review your upcoming week and assign ABCDE to everything. Then, give yourself grace if you don’t get to those Cs, Ds, and Es. It’s okay. You are prioritizing what matters most to you, and yes, that means some things will get “dropped.” But it’s your life, and you’re telling your own story. This isn’t easy. Time is precious, and as a nursing student, everything can feel stacked against you. But I want to know what would help YOU most. Will you let YOUR voice be heard? Visit NURSING.com/vote to tell us what will help you reclaim your sacred time—what you truly need. This is your invitation to share your voice. What Would Help You Get Your Life Back? Happy Nursing! -Jon Haws, RN p.s. we love your guys . . . I sincerely hope this helps NURSING.com, 11918 Division Street #2114, PORTLAND, Oregon 97266, United States

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