When Christina Tyler, BSN, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs graduated in 2020, she had no idea what type of working environment she would eventually land in. “I always envisioned working in a children’s hospital,” says Christina. “Or I figured I would get some cursory experience, then work at a fast-paced hospital environment,” she concludes. She didn’t even consider nursing in homecare. However, fate has a way of intervening when we least expect it.

Fate came in the form of a recruiter at MGA Homecare. “After I took the necessary NCLEX test—and passed—he asked me to interview,” remembers Christina. “Soon after that, I was working in the field as a nurse for MGA.” If only every first job could go so smoothly.

But then was even more in store for Christina.

“After about a year of fieldwork, my client manager told me MGA was looking for more case managers internally and asked if I would be interested in applying,” she says. Case manager positions are highly coveted in the nursing world and Christina was not expecting to hold one until she had been in the field for many years.

“This has been a completely new experience,” Christina says. “And one that frankly, I didn’t think I would have,” Christina explains that while earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, no one discussed homecare as an option. “You’re typically imagining something like an emergency room or something in the hospital setting,” she explains.

Christina is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work in homecare and is happy she was open enough to give homecare the chance it deserves. “I’ve moved up and I still have so much opportunity to keep moving up,” she says regarding her new position.

The Best of Both Worlds

One reason Christina considers herself incredibly lucky with her new Case Manager title is that she still has plenty of opportunities to hone her clinical judgment and her communication skills.

These are two specific areas that any nurse holds as main priorities. “I get to develop a deeper relationship with the patients and got to know my cases quite well,” she says. “This way it makes it a bit easier to determine the ins and outs of care and what works specifically for them,” she explains.

Christina admits that she had worried that if she entered homecare, she would lose some of her hands-on nursing skills. That couldn’t be further from the truth. “Homecare developed my skills even further in a different way,” she reports. “I still get to be hands-on. At the same time, it’s a great environment where I can sharpen my communication skills with other caregivers,” she explains.

Finding a Home with Homecare

Christina admits she was naïve about homecare in general before coming to MGA. “It is so eye-opening to see how great homecare is,” she says, “especially with kids. They thrive in a home environment—so much more than in a hospital room,” she says.

“[Homecare] is a whole other side to nursing,” she says again. “I have a great work-life balance and there are so many exciting opportunities ahead!”

If you are interested in learning about “a whole other side” of nursing or caregiving, check out MGA. You are needed.