Meet Bonnie: A Client Caregiver Story

October 14, 2022
Janelle Thomas MSN, RN
feature image

Meet Bonnie — a caregiver who gives her all to her patients. Bonnie is an LPN who works for Care Options for Kids. Let’s explore Bonnie’s background, her life as a caregiver, and why Care Options for Kids is different.

Bonnie’s Background

Bonnie discovered in her late teens that her grandmother was a registered nurse. In fact, her grandmother actually worked during World War I as a nurse.

“I’ve always had a heart for medical missions. When I was working as a physical therapy tech right out of high school. I thought maybe I wanted to be a PT.” 

Bonnie has always had a heart for medical patients. Before becoming an LPN, she worked as a physical therapist technician. She graduated with an AAS in exercise science and physical studies. However, she thought she would be better suited as a nurse.

Bonnie’s Life as a Caregiver

As a nurse, Bonnie could still do many range of motion therapies that she trained for as a physical therapist technician. This, therefore, seemed like the natural course of progression for Bonnie. who never saw the appeal of sitting in an office all day, dressed in business casual attire.

Bonnie loves people and wants to help them in any way she can. Her mother and grandmother both have experience in home health, so she was familiar with the possibilities of what you might see working in this field. She also understands that in this role, she is stepping into someone’s home and must be respectful of that.

“My experience as a nurse has been in two facilities since 2012… so I really had no experience in home health… so I was kind of nervous about it. I’m a guest in somebody’s house, so I don’t want to knock over the china or make them really upset. It didn’t take me long to get over it.”

To help get past her nerves Bonnie reminded herself she knew what she was doing and that she was a good nurse.

How Care Options for Kids is Different

“Care Options for Kids is different from other employers because they truly care about their patients and their nurses.”

Bonnie contemplated for a long time whether she should take a job with Care Options for Kids or not, but looking back she’s glad that she did. Bonnie explains that we don’t live to work, but we work to live.

“We all have bills and obligations we must adhere to, but work should not consume our entire life… I love to love on people who might not get any kind of kindness or feeling of love from anyone else — because they may be stuck at home. Or their family is… burnt out, and they need rest. I like being able to do that.”

Bonnie’s caregiver story is truly inspiring. Amazingly, she gets to make a true difference every day. She has a heart of gold and has found her calling in helping others.

If you want to make a difference just like Bonnie does, visit our careers page for all of the latest positions and employment opportunities available at Care Options for Kids.