The Real Nurse Jackie
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC A man was recently charged with animal cruelty after abandoning his pet fish Oscar. Yep, you read that right, a fish. Not some exotic fish in expensive tanks, but a fish in a bowl. The guy had been evicted from his home and apparently left the fish behind with the rest…
I’m seeing stars all right, and not in a good way, after recently reviewing a webinar on the new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Five-Star Rating System changes.
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC Recently, I overheard a business office manager speaking on the phone to a managed care company, which after approving dozens of patients, kept denying payments — without giving a reason, of course. Then after multiple calls, letters, and so forth, the company attempted to renegotiate the final price. Wait, what?! I…
Eating out alone can be uncomfortable. Not for me, but apparently for people around me.
Last week, I once again joined my colleagues at the AHCA/NCAL Quality Award Examiners meeting. What a joy.
We’ve all heard it: “There is no ‘I’ in team.” But I challenge that.
Jacke Vance Have you ever watched the Masters golf tournament? You know, the guys playing golf in Georgia, trying to grab the green jacket? I think you all know I love a good analogy (not as much as a good cup of coffee, but it’s close). So, if you do watch golf, you’ll notice that…
I am sure you have all heard the saying, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” But in our profession, I think we find that sometimes it’s both. So, what in the heck do I mean?
A new twist on an old Christmas favorite, in honor of hard-working directors of nursing everywhere.
Working in long-term care is hard, very hard. You can “hide” from realities and then do something reactively, or you can … do the right things first.
Oh, annual survey,You stress me so,No matter how we prepare,I’ll dread you, though … Despite skills labs, process reviews,And competency checksFor some reason at survey timeI fret a big hex I’ve made my audit list,I’ve checked it twice,And, like Santa …Know which staff is naughty or nice! I keep Tums in my top drawer,Maalox in…
I have been very touched by the outpouring of kindness from readers, both whom I know and others I don’t, since my father’s passing a couple of weeks ago.
After battling a long illness, I lost my hero, mentor, and father, Dr. Jack Fine, a week ago today, October 23. Anyone who knows me, knows the special relationship I had with my dad.
When it comes to our jobs as managers and department heads, we can’t hide. Nor can we go left or right. We have to walk that middle line and make sure we build a cohesive team, not do stuff to tear it apart.
Like many people, I reminisce about our great country (I’m not trying to be political at all, but I think we are already a great country …). This was especially true last week on the anniversary of 9/11.
Hey, I get it. Sometimes we are doing so much we feel like our head is spinning. But, guys, you can’t forget to do your daily rounds. It is THE one thing you can do that will give you your biggest return on investment of time.
Ok nurses and practitioners, this one is for you. Quit prescribing antibiotics for cloudy, funky-smelling pee. Weird pee is sometimes OK.
An ode to nursing assessments and all they entail.
Anyone who knows me knows that I love teaching. And while it is one of my greatest pleasures on Earth, it is also one of my greatest frustrations.
Does anybody remember when you last said the phrase in the title? I bet you said it when you heard something so outrageous that without a doubt you knew it wasn’t true. So why as nurse leaders do we let that kind of stuff slide instead of pointing out the person whose pants are on fire?
