In the first home care industry event that I ever attended, I met two gentlemen named Tom Boyd and Tom Nicholas.  Their company, aptly named Boyd and Nicholas, was very focused.  They billed themselves as the "Cost Report Guys," and had built a practice around cost reporting for Home Health agencies.  But this isn't why they stood out initally to me. They stood out because they were in shorts, sandals, and Hawaiian shirts...and because the feature of their booth was a drawing for some pretty nice bottles of wine.

Since then, I've been on their email distribution list where they share industry news and perspective.  Every other Friday they send out their "Points of Light", which is usually a compilation of clever and uplifting tidbits.  Incidentally, they merged their company and became part of Simione Healthcare Consultants, and I think that Tom Nicholas retired.

Anyway, the title of a recent email of theirs was, "What Does Being a Nurse Mean", and in it they shared the anonymous poem below.  For me, it helped conjure up what the experience on the front lines of home care is about...I enjoyed it and thought that you would as well:

Being a Nurse Means:

You will never be bored
You will always be frustrated
You will be surrounded by the challenge of
So much to do and so little time

You will carry immense responsibility
You will step into people's lives
And you will make a difference

Some will bless you
Some will curse you

You will see people at their worst
And at their best

You will never cease to be amazed
At people's capacity for love, courage, and endurance

You will see life begin and end
You will experience resounding triumphs
And devastating failure

You will cry a lot
You will laugh a lot
You will know what it is to be human and to be humane 

-Author Unknown 

You can learn more about Simione Healthcare Consultants at www.simione.com and sign up for their newsletter.

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