15 Ways Nurses Make a Difference in Senior Living

This Nurses Week, we asked our team a simple question: What makes nurses so special?

Here’s what they told us:

1. They’re always looking out for residents’ best interests

“They’re always looking out for residents’ best interest.” — Matthew Vicars, Network Administrator

2. They become a constant when family isn’t always there

“They are there a lot of the time for people where residents aren’t able to see their families all the time… being the mainstay for their every day is great for them.” — Steven Willan, Service Desk Analyst

3. They help residents feel less isolated

“They give the residents a connection to the outside world and help reduce feelings of feeling isolated.” — Greg Irvin, Service Desk Analyst

4. They are someone residents can count on

“It’s so important that residents have a constant person in their life they can count on when they’re not with their family.” — Amanda Knapp, Marketing AI Innovation Specialist

5. They bring humanity into the hardest moments

“Being that last sliver of humanity that they have left… just to say, ‘Hey, you’re looking great today.’” — Steven Willan, Service Desk Analyst

6. They bring compassion when it matters most

“Their kindness and compassion make them special. Nurses put residents at ease when they’re in the middle of their worst days.” — David Prokop

7. They improve quality of life beyond medicine

“Nurses provide emotional support and build trusting relationships. This improves the quality of life beyond medicine.” — Michael Allen

8. They treat people like people, not tasks

“This helps with understanding residents on a personal level, not as a patient.” — Michael Allen, Systems Administrator

9. They are closest to residents every day

“They are the closest to the residents… the care that they provide each day.” — Ken Schmiesing, Service Desk Analyst

10. They handle more than most people ever see

“They’re up on their feet most of the time. They take care of lots of people even when it’s hard to take care of yourself sometimes.” — Cory Niva, Service Desk Analyst

11. They stay positive even when it’s hard

“When things may be hard to stay positive, they manage to do that.” — Brendon Ford, Service Desk Analyst

12. They make difficult situations more human

“They take what can be a really terrible experience and make it as pleasant or positive as possible.” — Matt Ferry, COO

13. They show resilience through everything

“They have to interact with people on such a wide variety of emotional levels and they just keep doing their thing.” — Austin Marlar, Documentation Specialist

14. They create moments people never forget

“The nurse kind of assured me that everything was going to be okay and that kept me from losing it.” — David Prokop, Service Desk Analyst

15. They go beyond their role to care for people

“After his wife passed away, the nurse started sitting with him at dinner and it was just a really nice gesture.” — Michael Lynn, Tech@Home Manager

💙 Nursing is showing up every day for people who need it most.

Everything we do is designed to support the people delivering care. When nurses are supported, communities thrive.