🌤️ Here We Go Again: How DONs Can Stop Dreading Mondays

Leadership doesn’t take Saturdays and Sundays off. When routines fail, chaos is what fills the gaps.

Here we go again.

The weekend is over and now it’s back to the week.

If you’re like many Directors of Nursing, you might be:

😩 dreading what happened over the weekend

🤦‍♀️ preparing to hear what wasn’t charted

😤 annoyed that nobody “followed through”

🫠 already tired before you even walk in the door

And if you’ve ever walked into the building feeling annoyed, anxious, or defeated before you even put your bag down — you’re not alone.

Many great leaders feel that way simply because they are trying to lead without a system that can function when they’re not present.

Either way, here’s the truth no one wants to say out loud:

🟣 Your routine is either going to have you sinking or swimming.

Monday shouldn’t feel different from Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. If your system only works when you’re in the building, that’s not a system — that’s stress disguised as leadership.

🧨 Don’t Blame Monday for What You Didn’t Lead on Friday

The dread on Monday is rarely about the emergencies. It’s about the things that should have been done… but weren’t.

❗ No follow-up on falls

❗ No documentation on PRNs

❗ Incident reports that never made it to your desk

❗ Weight issues ignored because “the doctor isn’t here”

❗ Wounds not assessed because “we’re short”

It’s never the crisis itself. It’s the lack of routine around the crisis.

Here’s a simple example: If a fall happens Saturday at 6 PM and no one follows through with assessment, notification, or documentation… the problem isn’t the fall. The problem is the missing system that teaches staff what to do every single time, without exception.

We love to say, “These weekend staff don’t do anything.”

But let’s be honest:

🟣 If the weekend team doesn’t have a structure, that’s a leadership gap — not a weekend problem.

You cannot expect continuity if you’ve never established:

✔ who is leading

✔ what is expected

✔ what must be followed through

✔ what must be documented

✔ what must be reported by Monday

Staff cannot follow what doesn’t exist.

💬 A Lesson I Learned the Hard Way

When COVID hit and I left my full-time DON role, I started working weekends as a supervisor — double shifts every weekend.

And do you know what happened?

Facilities that were stressed ALL WEEK suddenly had peace. Not because I was a superhero. Not because I fixed their problems.

But because they finally had consistency

One leader every weekend meant:

🔐 falls were documented

🔐 incidents were reported

🔐 wounds were followed up

🔐 narcotics were counted correctly

🔐 PRNs had assessments to support them

🔐 no one waited until Monday to do their job

It wasn’t magic.

It was leadership presence + routine.

Facilities don’t fall apart over the weekend. They fall apart because no one owned the weekend.

🧩 The Weekend Routine Your Facility Is Missing

If you want to stop dreading Mondays, create a weekend system that doesn’t depend on who happens to be working.

📌 WEEKEND LEADERSHIP CHECKLIST

🟣 Before Friday Ends:

• Assign the Weekend Charge + Backup

• Review high-risk residents (wounds, weight, antibiotics, behaviors, falls)

• Identify residents needing follow-up or labs

🟣 Weekend Charge Responsibilities:

• Daily review of 24-hour report

• Follow-up on any PRN medications given

• Incident documentation + DON notification

• Verify wound care completed + documented

• Ensure labs, weights, vitals are logged

🟣 Must Be Reported to DON by Monday:

• Falls, skin changes, new orders, antibiotics started

• Wounds with decline or new wounds

• Behavioral incidents or concerns

• Staffing issues that impacted care (This is immediately)

  
  

This is not extra work. This is standard practice that protects residents, survey results, and your license.

🟣 Final Thought

Monday shouldn’t be chaos when leadership is consistent. Monday shouldn’t start behind when Friday left direction.

Leadership isn’t about showing up only when you’re there.

💜 Leadership is building a routine strong enough to survive without you.

📍 Ready to Build Systems That Protect Your Peace?

You don’t need to work harder. You need systems that work whether you’re in the building or not.

💜 Book a Clarity Call and let’s build systems that protect your time, your survey outcomes, and your peace. Training for CLARITY in your role. by @bilquisbali | Stan

Lead with love, 💜

YourFavNurseLeader

Bilquis Ali