A Perfect Place to Start

I’m interested in healthcare, but where do I begin? Nate had the same question and found his answer in caregiving, specifically senior care. Nate’s interest in healthcare was sparked after spending a year with the Benedictine Volunteer Corps in Spain and living alongside individuals in their twilight years. His experience gave him a whole new perspective on aging and respect for the older population—“I mean, my best friends for a year, the people I lived with were 60, 78 years old and coming back, I knew I wanted to get into healthcare, but I didn’t really know where to start.”

With an undergraduate degree in communications, Nate hadn’t been working towards a future in healthcare—he was completely green to the field. He began a Master’s in Healthcare Administration, knowing that one day he would end up somewhere in the healthcare field, but he still lacked any hands-on experience. “You should just be an RA, just work on the floor, you know, be with the residents,” suggested the director of his Master’s program—Nate saw that as a perfect place to start.

With no prior experience, Nate started as an RA at a senior living center in Duluth, MN. He reflects on those early experiences as a caregiver, “I did a job shadow, which is huge because I didn’t really know what I was walking into. So I shadowed, I loved it.” Just a few days into the job, Nate was already interacting with residents, learning how to do simple tasks like administering medicine, and learning the fundamentals of general care.

Nate’s story exemplifies a unique and attractive aspect of a career in caregiving: its accessibility. Whether you’re a recent nursing graduate or someone looking to turn over a new leaf, there are opportunities to get started and find a role that suits your goals and lifestyle. For Nate, working as an RA seemed like a suitable launching point, regardless of where he’d end up in the healthcare field; “I think this is the perfect place to start because if you want to go to any piece of healthcare, you want to go in nursing, you want to be a physician, you want to be an admin, or you want to be a therapist, whatever it’s going to be.”

Not only do these entry-level positions offer an accessible starting point for new caregivers, but they also have the flexibility so that staff can pursue an education while they’re getting their feet wet. Young people, in particular, are able to take advantage of the flexible schedules and daytime hours. Nate highlights this part of the job: “And what I love about the work I do is it’s accessible to young people,” he continues, “not only is it great to have sort of youth in this setting, but everyone I work with is like, “I’m going to school.”

Nate’s story proves that if you’re driven and willing to put in the work, the caregiving field has many opportunities. From the entry-level positions and the encouraging leadership, to the flexibility and the opportunity to learn on-the-job, this is a perfect place to start.