I’ve worked with my fair share of Directors of Nursing. Each
DON has their own unique style – some focus on clinical processes and paperwork
and avoid patient care. Other DONs prefer to be with the residents and staff
all the time, leaving reports and QA for other managers. Some prefer to let the
Administrator set policy, and others prefer to do it all themselves. Many DONs
have been in long term care longer than I’ve been alive – for others this is
their first try at managing a nursing home. A lot of DONs are experts in
certain areas but green in others. I’ve worked with some great nurses, but I’ve
also seen a lot of extremes.
You are a wonderful blend of talents. You get super involved
without going it alone. You’ve gone out and experienced a wide array of nursing
jobs and bring great insight to the team. You’re well spoken, know how to use
the computer, and you have great repoir with residents and employees. You’re
direct and concise, yet thorough and considerate. You have immense clinical knowledge
and use it as a tool rather than a weapon. You have fun with the team, but know
when to get serious. You lead by example in terms of work ethic, personal
conduct, professionalism, and integrity. You understand not just the job of the
DON but also the job of the Administrator. You do whatever it takes to get the job
done, but stand back and let people do their own work. You live up to your
mistakes and learn from them.
It has taken time for me to adjust to your style, because you
have higher expectations of me than any Director of Nursing ever has. It’s
great to have a partner rather than an employee, and I couldn’t do it without
you. Rather, we couldn’t do it without you. Your contributions of time, talent,
and effort have improved our standards, improved our quality of care, and
improved our employee morale. You’ve made your nurses better clinicians, your
managers better leaders, and our team a more cohesive unit. I know I speak for
everyone here, residents and staff alike, when I say, “Thanks for everything
you do.”
They say that the best advice you can give any manager is, “Hire
people better than you.”
I’ve done just that.
