Kim Followed God’s Leading To Home Instead 10 Years Ago
There’s no doubt why RN Supervisor Kim Atkins-Bruner is celebrating her 10th anniversary with Home Instead® of Mount Airy, North Carolina. It is because her years-long job satisfaction could perhaps come from one primary source. Kim said, “I trust God with everything in my life. I truly feel He picked Home Instead for me. ‘To honor God in all we do’ was known as our first mission when I joined Home Instead in April 2012. I remember when I came aboard, I was thinking, ‘Not many businesses operate with this standard anymore.’ ”
Kim’s career journey began 30 years ago when she graduated from Surry Community College in 1992. She worked at Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital for four years and at the Surry County Home Health Agency for 16 years. “While working at Surry Community College as a CNA instructor, a co-worker told me about Home Instead. My heart is and always has been in home care, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work in the home-care setting again,” said Kim, who has worked in home care for 26 of her 30 years in nursing.
Franchise co-owner Van Lankford said: “I have always felt very fortunate to have Kim on our Home Instead Mount Airy team. Our state license requires us to have a registered nurse on staff. In those early years, this was a challenge both logistically and financially for a new business. Our first nurse, Michelle Roberts, was a person with whom I had gone to church, and she was a CNA instructor at Surry Community College. She was working a full-time job, but agreed to work around her schedule in my new Home Instead business. This worked well for the first year. However, as our business grew, Michelle and I saw the need to bring on more help.”
Michelle told Van about another nurse with whom she worked, a person who trained CNAs at Surry Community College. Michelle also said the CNA trainer was interested in helping with the Home Instead’s caseload. Van recalled: “When I first met Kim, I knew I wanted her in my office. The first thing that impressed me was her many years of experience in the home-health field when she worked for Surry County Home Health. I was also impressed with her bubbly, upbeat personality which I knew would represent my business well.”
So, Kim joined the Home Instead team. After about a year, Kim approached Van one day and said if Van could guarantee her 32 hours a week, Kim would leave her college job and come to Home Instead. “Directing a young business,” Van said, “I knew this would be a financial stretch for me. However, I also knew I wanted Kim to be more involved in Home Instead. I took a step of faith and told her to leave the college, and I would take care of her hours.”
Van added, “Looking back, it was one of the best business decisions I have made. Kim adds so much to Home Instead. Then, a few years later I was able to increase her hours again. I feel the same way today I did 10 years ago in that I am fortunate to have Kim on our team.”
To Kim, her Home Instead co-workers are like family. “I look forward to coming to work,” she said. To carry out her duties, Kim visits the clients’ homes. During each visit, she gathers information on each client’s specific needs and develops a personalized care plan. Kim does hands-on skills training with each Care Pro. She works closely with Staff Coordinator Sharon Bledsoe to ensure every client receives a Care Pro who will best meet his or her care needs.
For Kim, the benefits of her Home Instead job are many. “Having a part in helping our clients receive the care they need and giving our Care Pros the opportunity to fulfill their desire to help others means so much to me. Knowing the client and Care Pro are both happy and satisfied is what the job is all about,” Kim explained.
Of course, her position becomes emotionally challenging, Kim said, when a beloved client passes away. Those losses can become memorable experiences where there is actually more light than darkness. “That occurs when a family member of the late client calls or sends a card expressing how much he or she appreciates the love, support and care we provided his or her senior loved one,” Kim said.
The blend of experiences has enriched Kim’s life, and she noted: “Having a job I love helps my overall outlook on life and happiness. I plan to be here until retirement age. I love my job!”
Kim and her husband Benny reside in Dobson, North Carolina. She spends most of her time entertaining their teenage daughter Emily. Kim’s hobbies are cooking and shopping. She is an active member of Oak Ridge Baptist Church in Cana, Virginia. Her favorite Bible verse is: “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4 KJV.
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (336) 789-4472 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
