03/12/2026
This!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I remember as a brand new nurse having to start in skilled nursing the medical floors (because that’s the natural path) now keep in mind I entered this profession as a licensed EMT III a critical care technician so I had some medical knowledge but I distincly remember saying to myself, what did you do??? I had 20 plus patients that I had to provide medications and treatments for!!
When I would enter a patients room a natural conversation would start and I would become enthralled with it, I absolutely loved the conversations, the old stories the lessons learned, the advice ❤️
Then, pout of the blue, pure panic would set in, because it would suddenly dawn on me that had so much more work to do that I would have to break away mid conversation sometimes, and hated it! I felt for a time, this new career was a mistake, although the service I was providing was obviously very important, I felt like I was cheating my people, (and selfishly myself) having to abruptly leave them in order to get “my work done” I always felt the the “treatment of time” with my people was just as important as the “medical” treatment I was providing!
I made my feelings known almost daily to those around me and maybe a bit much, let’s just say everyone knew how I felt, well, apparently even the director of the community I was working in knew!
One day she approached me and stated that it was no secret how I was feeling and asked me if I would consider a position as the supervisor of the assisted living/memory care which was miraculous because I had only worked the medical floor for about 4 months!
Instantly my heart filled with excitement because I knew that this opportunity would change my entire outlook on my new profession, it would afford me the opportunity to actually spend time with our residents!!!
I gleefully accepted this position which sent me on a path of over 15 years as a nursing director in Assisted living and
Memory care and thousands of meaningful learned conversations with our (TEACHERS)!!
I would spend hours upon hours visiting and conversing with folks who’s stories, history and advice benefitted me, my choices, and life, leaps and bounds more than the “time” I would sit and listen!!!
Time and conversation is a two way street and they deserve to have as much as we can provide, and trust me it may benefit YOU much more than you think!! I love our seniors!! they are full of advice and life’s lessons actually learned (first person) and I think if folks took Gary’s advice, and volunteered to “help” by simply visiting them, In most cases the “volunteer” would be the real winner!
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1Du7HT5Po3/?mibextid=wwXIfr
