When I was 18 and going to school to become a CNA, I wanted to work with babies. End of-life and long-term care wasn’t my top choice. I didn’t think there would be a lot of nursing type tasks, but during clinicals for my certification I was placed in long-term care and learned how rewarding it is to work with older adults.
Every resident has a story, they have 80-90+ years of life you get to learn from. You learn about the history of the community and their lives and their individual stories. They are vulnerable and they need and depend on you, and they can’t lead their lives without you. I feel so much honor to be beside the people who trust that I’m going to do the right thing. They express their grace and love and admiration for care, despite their own circumstances.
My career hasn’t been easy. I didn’t have anyone to help me navigate what to do and I wish I had someone to help guide me through the challenges. The school I went to for my RN program went bankrupt and a was left hanging with no recourse to get a refund or complete my certification. I was devastated. I had to start completely over, and I was a single mom juggling school and work. I decided to get a dialysis certificate and started working in a hospital. I tried working in marketing and sales for a while, but I knew I wanted to get back into long-term care and pursue my BSN license. In hospital settings, you meet the patient, and they leave, but in long-term care you get the chance to bond with the residents and they become your family.
After years of retracing my steps, I was able to earn an LPN license in 2017. Working in long-term care, I have worked as a health services nurse and an assistant administrator. During the pandemic, the administrator of our community retired and I was promoted into the role. I had a lot of experience on the family side, my grandmother had a stroke in her 40’s and I had spent a lot of time helping and caring for her. I also understood the nurse’s perspective through my training and experience. I think my experience with my grandma and being a nurse helped me become a good administrator. Those experiences help me make a difference in the lives of the staff, residents, and families because I can relate to all sides.
I never knew I wanted to do this, and I fell in love with the work. Explore the possibilities, find what’s fulfilling.
The best part about the leadership side of my job is helping the staff grow and watching them gain confidence and feel confident in their care skills and the task they do. I get to help them step out of their comfort zones and be resilient. They are strong and smart, and I’m surrounded by people I trust and lean on. I get to work with amazing people.
The best part of my job from the nursing perspective is having the trust of the 96+ residents who live in our community. They trust me to make the right decisions, they trust me to hire the right people, and to provide the right care. I have that trust because I was their nurse before becoming their administrator and I’m able to connect the dots.
When I was working as a nurse, I had a resident that would stop by my office every day just to give compliments and say something sweet. I called her my best friend; she filled my cup every day. One day in winter, I had the feeling that she wasn’t doing well, I followed my instincts and attempted to tend to her health, but she passed away not too long after that on Hospice Care. We had such a close relationship that her family asked me to speak at her service. I was extremely touched by this. Before she passed away, she had gifted me a magnet with a bible verse on it, and it reminds me of her every time I look at it. Her sister later moved into the community and remembered everything that I did to care for her sister and was so grateful. I’m still connected with their family to this day.
If you’re called to do this work, find out what role meets your needs. Be open minded, you never know what you’re going to like if you don’t try it or experience it. I never knew I wanted to do this, and I fell in love with the work. Explore the possibilities, find what’s fulfilling. Fear is a liar; fear will tell you can’t do something. You just have to push through, recognize the barrier, knock it down, and push forward. It’s exciting there’s people that want to be in health care and working in long-term care is a way to give back and pay it forward to retired nurses, retired farmers, veterans, and other members of our community who deserve dignity in their later years.
If you’re just starting in long-term care, give it time. Ask a lot of questions. If you need support with a skill, get help from a leader to do the job well and feel confident. Make connections and get to know your team members to build a support network. Talk to the leadership team to understand the opportunities available to you and get support. From housekeeping to activities, there’s something for everyone and everyone belongs. Currently, I am enrolled in a Bachelor of Nursing program in hopes to achieve the goal I had set over 24 years ago.
