Lippincott NursingCenter.com is partnering with Lippincott Solutions to bring you an inspired nurse’s story every month. Here is December’s nurse story, Giving Care to “Throwaways.”
 
Giving Care to “Throwaways”
Carol Hodge, Retired
 
While working as the Director of Nursing in a Medicaid only nursing home, I had the pleasure of taking care of the many "throw-away" people in the county. These were the homeless, prostitutes, and drug abusers, as well as others who needed long-term care but did not have the resources to pay for it. When a patient, an elderly former prostitute, was admitted to the hospital, I visited her, finding her in a room alone and unresponsive. I sat and talked with her for a while even though I did not get any response or acknowledgement. We weren’t particularly close, so I wasn’t expecting much from our visit. But as I left the room, I heard a weak cry. I turned around, and she was looking straight at me with a tear sliding down her face. It was a moment that confirmed I was on the path that had been chosen for me. I will never forget that day. And now that I am no longer able to work in my chosen career, I know it was truly the hardest job I have ever loved. God Bless our nurses!