A horrifying discovery in the mid-1990’s created a painful learning experience in my career. I was called by my Assistant Administrator/Director of Nursing and told that one of our Nurse Managers thought that a young resident in our care was pregnant. This Nurse Manager expressed concerns that our resident was agitated (unable to articulate verbally) in her body language and her stomach was distended. A blood test was performed, and we were shocked and stunned to find that she was pregnant. My first thought was of how I could have let this happen. I understood that I did not assault her, but nevertheless, I felt responsible.
The "normal" operations of my facility were turned upside down. The crime scene was cordoned off and representatives from the local police, the health department and the Deputy Attorney General’s office became regular fixtures in my facility. A former nursing assistant was arrested, charged and subsequently convicted of raping our resident.
Through it all, my goal was to provide seamless care to our residents and support families and staff despite the line of media vehicles on the road outside of the facility and the relentless and ongoing scrutiny of our organization. An overzealous reporter decided to use our story to make a name for herself and wrote a two-day expose about each of us (owners and myself) and highlighted the inadequacies of the overall operations of the facility. After a painstaking survey, a meticulous plan of correction and a re-survey in which we were "exonerated," I was asked to resign.
I asked myself every day, "Who did I want to be" and "What did I want to do." I determined that to the best of my ability, I wanted to be a leader that staff felt at ease with and supported by during this crisis. I determined to be the person who would put my hands, my whole self into the job. I mopped floors when we were short-staffed. I was present on our units and found ways to make everyone feel more at ease no matter what was happening around us. I invested my energy into the residents, our families and the team and put my own needs aside for the greater good.
If we are committed to be the best person, the best leader, the best team member that we can be, even in the worst of situations, positive results can be realized and achieved. This way of being rubs off. It’s contagious. We model attitude, empathy and an intention to create the best, no matter what.
These lessons and this way of thinking drove me to rededicate myself to the long-term care industry and strive for an impeccable reputation. Every day I work towards that goal. My strategies include:
- Listening to what staff, leaders, residents and families ask for and create tools and mechanisms to fulfill their needs
- Return every inquiry, phone call, text or email within 48 hours
- Admit when I make a mistake
- Always be transparent and authentic
- Do the uncomfortable even when I don’t want to
- Express my gratitude even when it is difficult
- Take responsibility for my words and actions
The difficult daily occurrences and life experiences that we confront are opportunities to learn, no matter how brutal. We always have a choice about the way we engage, and those decisions will define the reputation that we want to create for ourselves. In turn, this will influence the way our organization is perceived by residents, families, staff and the community at large. Who do you want to be? What do you want to do?