Julie Thorson

As we kick off the new year employee recruitment and retention seems to be the number one challenge we all face in this field.

For this first blog of 2019 I thought I’d put together my own little Top 10 reasons why you should think about selling our field to all those who will listen. It’s rewarding work — rewarding in a way that’s different than any other field. If we aren’t our own cheerleaders, who will be?

So here we go. Buckle up.

The Top 10 Reasons We Show Up

  1. We get to learn from the greatest generation ever. If you truly want to have an appreciation for our country’s history, go talk to an expert; the person who is right down the hall. There’s nothing better than learning firsthand about challenges from the past.
  2. We get to work in someone’s home. All the comforts of home are here.
  3. We can be silly and laugh with those we serve. Mistakes are forgiven and missteps are natural. We roll with the day and change directions often.
  4. We can make a positive difference in someone’s life every day. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture to be special. The little moments here mean so much.
  5. It’s the right thing to do.
  6. Growth takes on a new meaning. Growth in life, leadership and love means work is more than a job — it’s a calling.
  7. While the pace can be fast, we also have the ability and time to slow down and appreciate each other, employees and residents alike.
  8. Relationships are deep and develop naturally, not a transactional exchange but a true sharing of each other’s lives.
  9. They need us.
  10. We show up because this work is the perfect way to not only live your own life to the fullest but also to impact resident lives every day so that they in turn live their best life.  What a great gift to give.

My top ten reasons “why” may be different than yours, but the more we talk about it and promote it as being rewarding fulfilling, work the more people will want to learn.

Share your stories and your reasons why with others. WE are proud and feel blessed to work in this field. It is an honor and joy, and it’s fun.

Julie Thorson’s “Living Leadership” blog was named the 2016 “Best New Department” Bronze Award winner by the American Society of Health Publication Editors. Most recently, she was the 2018 recipient of the LeadingAge Dr. Herbert Shore Outstanding Mentor of the Year award. The president and CEO of Friendship Haven, a life plan community in Fort Dodge, IA, Thorson is a coach’s daughter at heart. A former part-time nursing home social worker, she is a licensed nursing home administrator and has been a participant in LeadingAge’s Leadership Academy.