Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Pacheco
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have been a nurse for 25 years. I moved to Scottsdale in 2003 after falling in love with the beauty of Arizona on a weekend vacation. When I was 20 years old, I was working as a medical assistant in a podiatry office. After doing that job for a short time, I knew I wanted to go into nursing. At the time, I had a 2-year-old child and no money for college, so I started working at a hospital in the medical records department because I knew that if I worked there for a year, they would pay for my nursing degree. I obtained my Associate’s degree in 1999, then, four years later, I received my Bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, which is where I grew up. I started out as a labor & delivery nurse for the first eight years of my career, then entered the Pre-op/PACU arena in 2007, which is where I have remained ever since.
In 2013, I went back to school and obtained a Masters degree in Nursing with an emphasis in leadership and management. I have been a clinical instructor for various Maricopa County Community Colleges and ASU and thought having my Masters would be beneficial to my students. Meanwhile, I was hired as a nursing supervisor at a sister hospital. I went in knowing that the culture there was broken and had high hopes for being instrumental in making big changes. I soon found out that the support from upper management simply wasn’t there, and I realized I was fighting a losing battle and getting burnt out so quickly I questioned if I even wanted to stay in the nursing field. I took a paycut and moved out of the supervisor role and into my job as a recovery room nurse at an outpatient surgery center. I regularly had patients who needed someone to take them home from surgery and to care for them because they either had no family or they were traveling from out of town and were alone. I started researching concierge nursing services and found that, surprisingly enough, this was almost an untouched market. I slowly decreased my hours at work and started to build my concept and business plan into what it is today.
In 2017, I took advantage of my newfound freedom and took a plunge into the world of aesthetics (something my creative side always wanted to do) and received my certification as a nurse injector with one of the industries’ leading injectors in Scottsdale, AZ. I have since been blessed with the opportunity to grow the number of patients on my books to keep me busy a few days a week. I have a partnership with an amazing Aesthetician that sends me new patients desiring to have injectables making them feel more confident, while keeping a natural refreshed look about them.
In April of 2018, at age 50, I formally started Concierge Nursing Solutions or “Concierge-RN” based out of Scottsdale, Arizona. I am a concierge nurse specializing in recovering patients after surgery, as well as a consultant for nurses all over the United States and Canada who are pursuing small business opportunities as concierge nurses.
In 2022, I opened up a branch in the Park City and greater Salt Lake City area. Our Utah team is consistently growing each day as are the opportunities to provide concierge nursing care to a variety of surgeons and patients.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My journey has not always been a smooth road, but I was always able to look at these road bumps as opportunities rather than barriers to my success. There’s a quote by Fredrick Douglas that I embraced a long time ago “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
I started my adult life as a single mother, so I definitely could have gone down another path. I knew the day I decided I would not give my child up for adoption, that I was not going to be just another statistic. I wanted to prove I had what it took to be successful despite what I was up against. I had obstacles all along the way, but I always found a way to overcome & grow thanks to the support of my family and the positive, nurturing people I have surrounded myself with. No matter who you are or where you have come from, you must seize every opportunity along the way. Even those who don’t have a family to support them, there are so many places to find the support you need to do what you want to do. Don’t wait for the opportunities to find you, there are a lot of untapped resources out there to help you succeed, go get them! Many years ago, I was told that if I wanted to be successful, I had to surround myself with the people I wanted to be like. Best advise ever.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Concierge-RN recovers patients after they have had surgery. The majority of our patients either don’t have anyone traveling with them or living with them that can help once they get back to their home, hotel or AirBnb. Others simply want to recover discretely. Our patients range in age from 25 to 95! We are a concierge nursing service specializing in plastic and orthopedic surgical recovery. We provide care for all types of surgery but because Utah has a large number of people who are seasonal or part time residents, Ortho and Plastics are the majority of what we do. Our nurses are known for personalizing care for each individual based on their unique needs and requests. What sets us apart from others is that we are not just providing a ride home and specialized nursing care. As a concierge service, we handle everything. Bringing peace of mind to our patients on their healing journey is why we do what we do. From assisting our patients with finding the best places to recover, to providing transportation to surgery and appointments, nursing care, advocacy roles, loading dishwashers and walking dogs, our name says it all.
I’m most proud that my mission to give great nurses another avenue to take care of patients outside the four walls of a hospital has exploded exponentially in the last 6 years. I have been able to give them an opportunity to have the work/life balance they have always wanted but were unable to have. In this environment, they can bring their unique contributions to their patients and actually get to know the patient and the patients’ family members!
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I have learned along the way? It’s too hard to pick just one. So I’ll give the top three! One is that I have to listen to my gut. There was a time in my life that I didn’t. I didn’t trust myself. I now trust myself and have the confidence not only to act on the ideas that I have, but to pump the brakes if what I’m doing is too much or not realistic. I have learned that setting short term goals can be better than setting a bunch of long term goals that ultimately may not be realistic or give me the confidence I need to keep going because it takes too long to get there.
My third most important lesson? Always have a plan B!
Pricing:
- Pricing is individualized for each patient’s unique circumstance.
- All pricing includes transportation from the surgery center or hospital to their home, hotel or AirBnb as well as to/from their follow up appointment the next day
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.concierge-rn.com
- Instagram: conciergenurse
- Facebook: Concierge RN
