Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC

You ever wonder about the fascination about Hot Pockets? To me, I suppose the allure is that it promises immediate satisfaction. The advertisements tell you if you’re hungry, throw it in a microwave and you’ll have a tasty, crispy treat.

Now to be honest, I have tried these microwavable treats. I have never once gotten the crispy outside with warm gooey goodness inside. Either I’ve gotten a crispy outside with still partially frozen inside pocket or, “Oh dear Lord, I’ve burnt my mouth and can’t scrape this lava-hot cheese off of my tongue” pocket.  And by the time it cools down, you could build a house with that brick-hard thing! 

Why, why did I do that when one, I am a really, really good cook, and two, I am not a fan of nitrates and other artificial ingredients? (But then you will glow in the dark if you consume too much, which does make it easier to find the potty at night!). All for the ease of a quick fix?

Now I know Hot Pockets are aimed at the young. There is not a college campus or a “first” apartment in the United States where a hot pocket can’t be found. But come on, you know your mom will make you all your favorite foods and pack you up all those lovely leftovers if you just go to the extra effort to come for a meal. Or who has a grandmother who doesn’t want to turn you into the proverbial fattened calf? (Truth, when I was young, I could not get one foot in my grandmother’s door before she was shoving a piece of homemade sugar cookie the size of a salad plate in my mouth.)

Why do we want to live in a Hot Pocket world when going the extra effort makes things so much better? You know when you take those shortcuts at work they are going to come back and bite you in the butt. I mean, Hot Pockets are OK in critical situations. (Such as a zombie apocalypse or a critical staffing shortage.) But for the most part, a little effort really pays off.

So, please, think of work as that three-course meal you want and not something you throw in the microwave. A little extra effort has great rewards, and no scorched tongues!

Just keeping it real,

Nurse Jackie

The Real Nurse Jackie is written by Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC, Senior Director of Clinical Innovation and Education for Mission Health Communities, LLC and an APEX Award of Excellence winner for Blog Writing. Vance is a real-life long-term care nurse. A nationally respected nurse educator and past national LTC Nurse Administrator of the Year, she also is an accomplished stand-up comedienne. The opinions supplied here are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of her employer or her professional affiliates. 

The opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News guest submissions are the author’s and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News or its editors.