You’ll laugh out loud at the funny request this nurse’s patient made!

This feature is brought to you in partnership with Interim HealthCare. 
Have you ever thought about leaving the bedside…for the boardroom? In partnership with Interim HealthCare, we’re talking to nurses across the country who have done just that! Here, Jasmine Lipscomb shares about the rewards of business ownership and the moments from her career that she’ll never forget—including the funniest thing anyone’s ever said to her on the job!

Name: Jasmine Lipscomb

Franchise location: Jackson, California

What type of nurse are you? I am an RN and a certified oncology nurse.

Where did you work before starting your franchise, and for how long? I have been a registered nurse since 1986 and have worked as a dialysis nurse (15 years), and a home health nurse (two-plus years), and am currently an oncology nurse (10 years so far). I have a master’s degree in nursing education, but after teaching student nurses for two years, I decided I didn’t want to do that for the rest of my life.

When and why did you choose to leave bedside nursing and start a franchise? When my husband and I decided to leave the Bay Area and move to a smaller community, I was happy in my new environment. However, I couldn’t find an oncology nursing position in this small community. I decided that it must be time to open my own business, which has been in my mind for the past five to ten years. Although I am a franchise owner, I’m still very involved in patient care because I still do most of the new patient intake and I visit my clients often. I also work per diem at a local cancer center to keep up my nursing skills. 

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

1. Being able to help my clients by providing them with excellent care professionals
2. Helping to ease the burden on their families
3. Providing employment to hardworking care professionals
4. Mentoring and inspiring my employees

What’s the best part of being a business owner? I get to do what I believe in.

What’s the funniest thing anyone’s ever said to you on the job? “Can we talk about something else besides the color and consistency of my poop for now?” 

Can you share an “only in nursing!” story from your own career with us? When I was teaching nursing students at a junior college, one of the stories I told that always got the students’ attention was how I once drained five liters of urine from a patient with urinary retention problems. 

If you could have dinner with any nurse—real or fictional, living or not—who would it be and why? Darlyn Baker, Renee Rand, Cindy Seawright, Jane Hinton, Lori Purcell and our CEO, Kathleen. 

What’s one moment from your nursing career that you’ll never forget, either inspiring or humorous? Below is an email I recently received from a client’s family member. It’s very inspiring and warmed my heart (Denise is my care professional): 

It is important for you to know that Dorothy LOVES Denise. I do, too. When I told Dorothy that she was now required to pay someone to come to her home and help her out a few days a week, she was apprehensive. She now thinks it’s the best thing in her world. I’m sure you’ve experienced this before.  

Denise does wonderful things for Dorothy, from foot baths and foot/leg massages to cleaning to laundry to cooking and baking with/for her. Dorothy is thriving and it’s because of Interim, you and Denise. 

I told Dorothy that life changes, people move on and that one day there might be someone different than Denise, but that if that happens, that person will be just as professional, hardworking, trustworthy and kind. It was something Dorothy had not thought about, but she understands. If that happens, she will adjust.  

Dorothy and Denise have become good friends. This is an important relationship for Dorothy. Please tell Denise that her professionalism is greatly appreciated and it allows me to carry out Dorothy’s wishes for her to live at home. Thanks for all you do.

Interim HealthCare® provides the flexible assignments you need to fit your life and your priorities. As America’s leading provider of home care, hospice and healthcare staffing, chances are, we have the right assignment to fit your life’s needs as well as the resources and opportunities to help you with your career. To apply online, visit www.careersbyweb.com. To find out more about becoming a franchisee, visit www.interimfranchising.com. To like us on Facebook, click here.