From Practicality to Passion: One Practitioner’s PALTC Journey

“I was blown away by the need for good people to provide quality care and shift attitudes about long-term care and geriatrics.”
Melissa Purvis, MSN, RN-BC, NHA
Care Settings/Types
NP/PA
January, 2016

For Melissa Purvis, MSN, RN-BC, NHA, National Director of Clinical Practice at Golden Living, her entry into long-term care was partly a practical consideration. “I had a small child, and I liked the flexibility the field offered.” However, she stayed because of a passion for quality care and the need for skilled, committed practitioners in post-acute/long-term care facilities. “I was blown away by the need for good people to provide quality care and shift attitudes about long-term care and geriatrics.” Years later, she says, in part thanks to AMDA, “We have a seat at the table where we are considered valuable and where we’re involved in initiatives such as accountable care organizations and bundled payments.” She adds, “Over time, it’s been nice to see others look at long-term care and see that we talk the talk and walk the walk, that we are practicing cutting-edge, clinical-based medicine and providing excellent care.”

AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine is an important partner for Purvis. She says, “The entire annual conference is kind of an ‘aha’ moment.” She said that she especially likes the regulatory sessions and the opportunity to learn about the decision-making process that goes into policymaking. “I also enjoy the clinical sessions. They are very practical.”

Purvis enjoys the relationships she has with her patients and how these connections contribute to quality care. For example, she tells one story. She says, “I had grown fond of this one older gentleman. I was gone for 5-6 days; and when I came back, he was completely different. He seemed weak and diminished. He seemed to be in pain. I assessed him, and it turned out he had fractured a hip. The connection I had with him helped me recognize that there was a problem.”

Purvis is proud of her work in long-term care, but she is most proud of the improvements in care she has witnessed as a result of effective leadership. “Strong, positive, inclusive leadership is key to a successful organization,” she says, adding, “I’m proud to be a leader and empower others to be leaders as well.”