I was driving and listening to the radio last week and I heard an interesting marketing campaign. Apparently, to get people to vacation in Acapulco, the city’s newest campaign to get tourists is to offer free tattoos. I kid you not. 

I kind of think that someone who is really into tattoos would probably spend that money on finishing their sleeve rather than go to Mexico and get a random tattoo. But that is just a guess. 

Then again, you always hear of tourists sampling the tequila and coming home with a tattoo they don’t remember getting, that is unfortunately, quite unforgettable. 

This got me thinking about how we market working in long-term care. Kind of like someone talking to a couple thinking about marriage. “Well, it takes a lot of hard work. You have to be really committed. You can’t get complacent. You have to learn to get along even if you’re having a tough day…” 

Wow, everyone will want to work with us when you tell them that!  

Why don’t we market it like we would be telling someone about one of our favorite shows we watch. Like, “The people are amazing, they are so interesting, the history is incredible. You never get bored. It’s just exciting all the time. I mean no two episodes (days) are the same. And you just feel so good at the end of the episode (day) that you can’t wait for the next one!” 

I mean, come on people, share the devotion. It’s why we fell in love with senior care in the first place. The good really outweighs the tough stuff, so share the wins and joys. 

And by the way, where DID this tattoo come from? Just asking for a friend!

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.

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