Nurse Stories

Angela Huffman

Clinical Services Consultant
RN

Ask Angela Huffman what it takes to be a successful nurse, and she’ll say two things: keep a positive outlook, and do everything you can with integrity.

“Everything rises and falls with who you are as a person,” says Angela, “and when bad things happen you can always land on your feet if you work and live with integrity and character.”

Angela recalls a time, soon after she’d first become a nurse, when she used to keep a set of five coins in her right lab coat pocket. Each time she uttered a positive comment or made a positive impact on someone, she moved one coin to the left pocket. Her goal was to have each of those coins switch pockets each day.

While she no longer practices that technique, she still utilizes the philosophy behind it on a day-to-day basis. When training new Assistant Directors of Nursing (ADONs) in her district, for example, she always tells them to point out what’s being done correctly as often as she corrects what needs improvement.

“No matter what, you must encourage people to do the right thing,” she says. “This increases morale and makes your staff happier. Your residents benefit from it in return.”

Angela has been a nurse since 1987 and has worked with Golden Living and its predecessors since 1994. She has been her district’s Clinical Services Consultant since 2001. In this role, she holds a variety of responsibilities, including supporting LivingCenters with Federal-, state- and company-based compliance efforts. She also speaks with residents and families about their experiences in the LivingCenters.

“We are always trying to take things to the next level,” she says, “and I’m a leader in that effort. I’m charged with the responsibility of moving the district forward.”

Angela enjoys the team-driven atmosphere her position provides, as well as strategizing about how each LivingCenter she works with can better itself.

“I like taking the tools we have been given by the company and massaging them into a workflow that fits each LivingCenter’s needs,” she says.

In addition, Angela is active with her local theater and church, where she enjoys singing and acting. Ironically, she dabbled with a career in musical theater before entering the healthcare industry.

“I’ve always wanted to help people - that’s why I stuck with nursing. I love working with people and helping them go through hard times,” she says. “But I have no regrets about not going into theater. I am very active in my local theater and active in my church musically, so I get the best of both worlds.”