The healthcare industry is such a crucial place to work. You might be part of the only family that a certain resident has. You could be one of the few that a resident remembers. It could be your name that a resident screams in the middle of the night because you were the last person they had a conversation with.

I never thought that you could go through a million emotions in an 8-hour shift, but you can. You can be so frustrated and go straight to happy, just because that sweet little old lady asked you how you are. When getting to know the residents I had such a hard time because I never knew what to say when they were going on about a life event that made me super uncomfortable since that is something I could not have even imaged to have happened to someone. Through time you get to know tricks on how to bring up little conversations, but without having them explain everything.

You can be a worker that has no emotions, goes in, does bare minimum, then leaves, but you won't be getting the experience. You will be missing out on being told the stories that they made when they were teenagers. How some of them were married by 16. You will be missing out on human interaction that will forever have you thinking. I truly feel sorry for the bare minimum worker because they miss out on having bonds with people that are sometimes are exactly like them.

There was a time when I was sitting with a resident that I had a really strong bond with, and she was so disoriented, and it hurt my heart to see her like that. I needed to leave the room to wipe my tears, but when I tried to leave, she was holding my hand so tight and was letting go. It truly made me think about how you can have relationship person that you've only known for a short time.

If it wasn't for working in a nursing home, I would not have such a compassionate, caring, and open heart. All the residents have a part of my heart, and I wouldn't of wanted it any other way. Each one has a story, and in a way I am a part of theirs and vise versa. You cannot truly grasp the whole effect that working in this industry has on your life.