7 Years.

seven years since i first walked into that snf, not knowing what to expect. seven years since my first clock-in. seven years since my first signed noted. seven years since my first shift as a licensed and certified occupational therapist.

on september 5, 2017, i started a job in skilled nursing, fresh out of school, knowing next to nothing, but ready for the adventure. and maybe with a little mindset of, “well… if it doesn’t work out, i’ll just have to make it one year and then i can find something else”.

so much for that, i guess!

but really, i have truly enjoyed my career in skilled nursing so much. and at this point, i can’t imagine working in any other setting. don’t get me wrong, there have definitely been ups and downs. there have been a lot of stressful aspects: staffing issues, Medicare changes, a pandemic, working in management. but there have been a lot of wonderful aspects as well: Clients who’ve shown amazing progress, Residents who’ve become like second, third, and fourth grandparents, and staff who have become some of the best of friends.

over these seven years, i’ve gone from being 1 of 2 fulltime OTRs, to the single lead OTR of a department, to manager of a full rehab staff, to now per diem across multiple buildings. i’ve worked overnight shifts and weekends. i’ve worked in 5 different buildings, treated hundreds of people, written thousands of notes, attended dozens of meetings, and learned more than i could have ever expected. not to mention all of the sharing, learning, and collaborating with other therapists across the world online.

so here’s to all that’s happened over the last seven years, and to all the will in the years to come.