Tasia McCullough, director of operations for Eastern Wisconsin at Champion Care, has been named a 2024 Future Leader by Skilled Nursing News.
To become a Future Leader, an individual is nominated by their peers. The candidate must be a high-performing employee who is 40-years-old or younger, a passionate worker who knows how to put vision into action, and an advocate for seniors, and the committed professionals who ensure their well-being.
McCullough sat down with Skilled Nursing News to talk about her start in the industry, why mentorship is so important for the sector, and why behavioral health training will be crucial in the years to come.
SNN: What drew you to this industry?
McCullough: My grandmother was a nurse and I always looked up to her. Caring for people is something that I have instinctively done for as long as I can remember. I have had the pleasure of working in other fields however, the elderly hold a huge part of my heart. They have worked their whole lives and there comes a point when they need some extra love and care. I am the most honored to be able to provide that for them after everything they have gone through in life.
SNN: What is the biggest lesson learned since starting to work in this industry?
McCullough: One word comes to mind. Time. Take the time no matter how busy you are. This goes for our personal lives as well as our working lives. Once time has gone you will never get it back. The skilled nursing field is a very busy place, but we must make time for our families, friends and selves. In our work lives, there is no bigger gift that we can give our residents like the gift of time. Take a few extra minutes to sit with your resident and hear about their life, talk about their fears, listen to their advice. The next time you give a resident the gift of time, watch their eyes light up! That makes all the blood, sweat and tears so worth it.
SNN: If you could change one thing with an eye toward the future of skilled nursing, what would it be?
McCullough: One change I would make would be placing a focus on mentorship or preceptorship. There is a saying in nursing that breaks my heart. “Nurses eat their young.” The knowledge that is gained by experience is something that should be shared. That saying should be changed to “Nurses grow their own.” We all started out absolutely terrified on our first day, needing that one person to latch onto to help guide us and teach us. Our residents deserve the best possible care we can provide for them and we can achieve this through a good mentorship or preceptorship.
SNN: What do you foresee as being different about the skilled nursing industry looking ahead to 2025?
McCullough: A focus looking ahead to the year 2025 in skilled nursing would be on mental health, and drug and alcohol treatment. There is a significant deficit in mental health professionals, and it is showing in our communities. Because of this, we in the skilled nursing industry need to educate ourselves on how we can care for these individuals to the best of our abilities.
SNN: In a word, how would you describe the future of skilled nursing?
McCullough: ‘Transforming’ would be the word I would use to describe the future of skilled nursing. As our clientele changes, so does how we practice. Our residents are younger with a lot of mental health challenges. We must make it our priority to educate ourselves and grow with the changes.
SNN: If you could give advice to yourself looking back to your first day in the industry, what would it be and why?
McCullough: “If not you, then who?” This is advice that I was given a few years ago and could have used on my very first day. Healthcare is a very hard career choice. Not just physically but mentally as well. There are lots of days where you may sit back and wonder why you still do this. Days where we lost a patient, days where we are beyond exhausted, days where we just don’t want to do it anymore. “If not you, then who” made me take a step back and realize that this moment may not be good but what I do is good. One day at a time. One hour at a time. One moment at a time.
The Future Leaders Awards program is brought to you in partnership with PointClickCare. The program is designed to recognize up-and-coming industry members who are shaping the next decade of behavioral health, senior housing, skilled nursing, home health, and hospice care. To see this year’s Future Leaders, visit https://futureleaders.agingmedia.com/.
To learn more about the Future Leaders program, visit https://futureleaders.agingmedia.com/.