I started Don 2 Don Development because I was tired of watching good nurses burn out in leadership roles they were never properly prepared for. You know the story. A charge nurse who's excellent clinically gets tapped for the DON position. Everyone celebrates. She accepts because it feels like the right next step: more responsibility, better pay, a chance to lead. Then reality hits. Sixty days in, she's drowning. The surveyors are circling. Staff is frustrated. Families are c

You walk into a facility on Day 1 as the new Director of Nursing. The previous DON left three weeks ago. There's no orientation binder. Half the staff doesn't know who you are. The state survey is in six weeks. And someone just called out for the PM shift. Welcome to chaos. This is the reality for most DONs stepping into a new role. And it's exactly why turnover in long term care is a revolving door. When leaders don't survive the first 90 days, facilities lose six figures in

You hired someone sharp. They interviewed well. Their resume checked all the boxes. You sat them down on Day One, walked them through your expectations, and sent them off to "lead." Three weeks later, they're drowning. They're not showing up to leadership meetings prepared. They're still asking basic questions you thought were covered in orientation. The staff is confused. You're frustrated. And somewhere in the back of your mind, you're wondering if you made a hiring mistake

The call came in on a Tuesday afternoon. The regional director sounded tired. "We just hired a new DON. She's solid clinically, but the building is a mess. The last survey was rough. Can you help her make sense of it all?" Translation: We need a rescue. This is the story of how one facility went from post-survey chaos and a brand-new director of nursing to stable leadership and survey readiness in 90 days. Not through motivational speeches or generic leadership training. Thro

You hired someone sharp. They interviewed well. Their resume checked all the boxes. You sat them down on Day One, walked them through your expectations, and sent them off to "lead." Three weeks later, they're drowning. They're not showing up to leadership meetings prepared. They're still asking basic questions you thought were covered in orientation. The staff is confused. You're frustrated. And somewhere in the back of your mind, you're wondering if you made a hiring mistake

You're exhausted. Not the "I need a vacation" kind. The bone-deep kind that makes you question why you ever took this job in the first place. You're not alone. And you're not weak for feeling it. Director of Nursing burnout is real. It's widespread. And most of us are making it worse without even realizing it. I've been there. Sitting in my car before walking into the building, needing five more minutes. Checking emails at 11 PM because the guilt of not responding felt worse

Let's talk about the number nobody wants to put on paper. Your Director of Nursing just gave their two-week notice. Or maybe they didn't even give you that courtesy, they just stopped showing up because director of nursing burnout finally won. Now you're scrambling. You're calling the staffing agency for interim coverage. You're reposting that job listing for the third time this year. And somewhere in the back of your mind, you know this is going to cost you. But do you know

You're not going to quit. I already know that about you. You've been in this building for a year: maybe longer. You know every resident by name. You know that Mrs. Patterson likes her coffee with two sugars and that Mr. Williams only calms down when Keisha is on shift. You know your CNAs are exhausted, but they show up for you because you've never asked them to do anything you wouldn't do yourself. You love these people. That's why you're still here. But here's what I also kn

Let me paint you a picture you've probably seen before. You just hired a sharp, credentialed Director of Nursing. Great interview. Solid references. You hand them the keys on a Monday, point them toward the nurse's station, and say, "Call me if you need anything." Ninety days later, your survey comes back rough. The new DON is overwhelmed, your staff is confused, and you're wondering what went wrong. Here's the truth: Your DON didn't fail. Your onboarding did. I've watched th

You just hired a new Director of Nursing. She has fifteen years of clinical experience, a stack of certifications, and references that made your decision easy. You handed her the keys, showed her the office, and wished her luck. Now you're wondering why she's already talking about leaving. Here's the hard truth: the first 90 days of a DON's tenure are the most dangerous. Not because of surveys or state visits. Because of everything that happens before anyone from corporate ev

You just hired a new Director of Nursing. She has fifteen years of clinical experience, a stack of certifications, and references that made your decision easy. You handed her the keys, showed her the office, and wished her luck. Now you're wondering why she's already talking about leaving. Here's the hard truth: the first 90 days of a DON's tenure are the most dangerous. Not because of surveys or state visits. Because of everything that happens before anyone from corporate ev