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Hi everyone,

I'm Janet, a nurse manager at Rock County Health Department in Southern Wisconsin. I started listening to Manager Tools after I got an Iphone and discovered podcasts! This has been a wonderful site to learn about how to be an effective manager. If it didn't focus on relationships I wouldn't be on board. What they said made sense to immediately and I am trying to apply the concepts.  One on ones are going great, coaching ditto, feedback is hard, but I'm working on it! Nurses get zero training in these things, so thanks to the site for supplementing my education. I just finished my masters degree and not one course focused on influencing people, even though in health care that is what we do all day!

Last Friday I was offered the Director of Nursing position, and I don't believe I would have taken it if I hadn't discovered the great tools and philosophy of Manager Tools, so thanks for the promotion! I also have read a lot of the books that are recommended. Love the Marshall Goldman site to give me lots of inspiration. 

Thanks to all of you that help make this "virtual" community great! If there are any other nurses out there -- reach out!

Janet Zoellner

 

Mark's picture
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Janet-

Welcome aboard.  Helath care management is the toughest management job in the world.  Being a CNO or DN is an incredible honor and a LOT of work.  I hope we are able to serve your needs well.

And all my pens are Parkers. ;-)

Mark

430jan's picture

Yes indeed, all the Parker pens were made here in Janesville til they moved out to Europe. Got my boss (now the health officer) hooked on your podcasts too. You and Mike have been an incredible blessing and my staff is sick of hearing about you!

Some day I'll get my whole story out.  I'm passionate about good management. You have showed me the way, and I'm still learning! Thank you.

Janet

jhack's picture

"Passionate about good management..."   

That's a worthy personal tagline.

John Hack

basking2's picture

Hi Janet!

I'm up in the Madison area pecking around for my next Software Development job. Great to have another Wisconsin person on the boards!

As for Parker Pens, sad truth. Janesville just keeps taking the hits these days (big manufacturing plant closure most recently). I replace the cheap ball point ink cartriges in my company-branded pens with Parker gel refills. Love the bold, solid ink. I have to keep an eye on them, though. :)

Should you want to network at all, Janet, I'm on LinkedIn with contacts in Software Engineering, mostly. I do have a family connection with two Surg. Techs. at Froedtert near Milwaukee. All the best, and welcome!

Sam Baskinger

 

tlhausmann's picture
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Janet,

Congratulations and well done! Keep reading and keep getting better.

I too am in Wisconsin.

430jan's picture

I appreciate knowing you both. Rock County is indeed in trouble these days. GM closing has hit all our industries hard, and we are doing a lot of assessing in public health to know the impact that is coming when everybody's severance runs out. Fear does not bode well for general health!

There are a lot of people retraining, lots for nursing although it is a very, very tough field once you get out. We generally eat our young. Even tougher to get nurses to take a pay cut and go into management or teaching!

Enough whining for now! It's not the Midwest way, right gentlemen? We have to suck it up and stare at our shoes. :)

Hope to see you around the boards. Sam, have you checked out Epic? Medical software up in Fitchburg or Verona I believe.

Janet

basking2's picture

Janet,

Indeed. No whining. :)

I have been eying Epic and done some "recon" on them. It seems they typically acquire folks out of college and have a very high retention rate. There are some times big pushes (60-80 hour weeks) but people stay there. Epic uses their own HR for recruiting where as most of the Madison area IT is recruiter company driven and extremely contractor-focused. You really do well to have an internal reference to make any headway.

At least, those are the notes I've collected from various recruiters and contacts. They do have my resume and they do have an internal reference about me. I'm brain storming what the best follow-up might be, but so far the advice I keep getting is that they like to be a black box and follow up right now would be too early and a waste of energy. No one is even sure they are acting on the rumored staff-up.

Makes for a good day-time-Soap-Opera replacement. Really! :)

All the best!

Sam

430jan's picture

Yes, I don't know much about you your field, but I think people do stay at Epic. I just know all the systems around here are adding their stuff, so would think that they are looking at growth, but it's not really my field. I do have a friend whose son works there in your field. I could ask around it you want. Hope you find something quick!

Janet

Mark's picture
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Folks-

I've always said that all other things being equal, I'd hire someone from the Midwest.  Nicer, harder working, and more humble.  Nice proof of that here.

(Written by a Californian schooled in New York).

 

terrih's picture

Hi Janet, welcome to the forums!

I'm in Rockford, not that far away.