Jen was naturally personable, and mostly wanted everyone to live happily ever after.  She’d taken the DON (Director of Nursing) job mostly because her family needed that increase in her income, but also because she realized she’d been hanging back, and not choosing jobs on a “career track.”

Now, the owner of a small group of five nursing homes had talked her into believing she could do it, be the DON at one of the facilities, and that he would provide resources and back her up on the tough calls.

In hindsight, she sees that she was kidding herself about how helpful and honest the owner could actually be in such a heavily regulated environment, operating on such slim margins. 

It wasn’t that he’d lied outright – and in fact, during the first few weeks, he truly seemed to enjoy being around a lot, showing her the ropes, and fulfilling some of her more simple, (less expensive) requests.

But the honeymoon couldn’t last.  To make a long story short, she felt she needed to get rid of one troubled staff member, and saw another as being worthy of being developed and lifted up.  It turned out the owner’s view was almost entirely the opposite – the staff member she wanted to be rid of was a “long timer” whose problems her boss – “frankly” – wanted to continue to overlook.  The other staff member had apparently said or done something to rub him the wrong way, and the net result was that the owner wouldn’t hear of anything special or non-ordinary – such as Nursing Administration courses, or specifically, a brief unpaid leave for what everyone felt were valid circumstances.

So now, Jen had the most elevated job she’d ever had in nursing – a pretty decent salary, and her own nice office – but just as she’d feared, she found herself on the phone more than she wanted to be, losing “battles” due to money, and not really knowing the residents day-to-day as she’d promised herself she would.

Jen’s lack of strong natural confidence meant she couldn’t easily blow past the barriers that inevitably appeared when her owner revealed his feet of clay.  She realized she wasn’t one of those who could just naturally frame things in her mind, then say the right things to herself that helped take away or reduce the weight of her own judgments about herself.

But coaching helped Jen.  She learned to “push back” diplomatically to renew her own focus and energy, and actually reclaimed some ground.  She insisted on building resident contact into her day, even if it extended her workday (“not that much, really.”)  She revisited the personnel “battles” with her owner, turned them into adult discussions that took place over time, and ended up prevailing with the one she was looking to bring along – and has gotten much better at dealing with the employee she’d hoped to be rid of.

What’s not yet resolved is how she really feels about a career in Nursing Administration.  She’s no longer on the run, feeling let down and unsupported, or blatantly disappointed in herself.  She’s doing a pretty good job in this, her first managerial slot, while knowing she’s not setting the world on fire with her inspirational leadership.

She’s a work in progress, but at least what she finally decides will reflect good self-awareness and emotional honesty.  That’s not too shabby.

Shaun Kieran

Hello@ShaunKieran.com

(207) 767-3864