Tamara Britton

As a child, I was never sure what I wanted to be when I grew up. I came from a very poor, poverty-stricken family in a large city. I knew what I didn’t want to become.

It wasn’t until I was in my early 20s that I knew what I wanted to be: a doctor. This was also around the time when I met my husband. We got married and started a family right away, so my professional goals were put on hold. When our youngest children began elementary school, I decided to go back and pursue my own education. I chose to go to nursing school because I was still in awe of the medical profession and technology. To be honest, the TV show Trauma: Life in the ER got me excited about nursing. I loved the adrenaline rush and problem-solving involved with helping a patient get better!

To start in health care, I began working at a home health facility. Home health care is exactly what it sounds like: Nurses visit their patients’ homes to provide needed care in a more comfortable environment. During this journey, I was working full-time, going to school pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing and taking care of my family. Ultimately, earning my BSN (bachelor of science in nursing) took 10 years.

Throughout my time working in home health, I’ve held a variety of positions from case manager to director. Today, I’m a coding and OASIS-certified documentation reviewer at Pinnacle Home Care. (OASIS stands for Outcome and Assessment Information Set, and certification means the person has demonstrated skills and judgment necessary to assess a patient’s condition.) I work with physicians, clinicians and families on Medicare and insurance requirements. My job is to make sure our company gets paid back for services we perform and that patients have everything they need to be successful at home after an illness or diagnosis.

One of the best parts about my job is the continuing education aspect. To be accredited and keep my certifications, I need to complete 40 hours of continuing education units each year, plus an additional 30 hours every other year. It’s exciting to broaden my knowledge and share what I learn with my coworkers.

When you’re considering your future career, go with your gut instinct! You can do anything you put your mind to and go as far as you want to go. You don’t want to look back when you’re older and think, “Man, I really wish I’d …”