I was fired for helping an elderly man with dementia who believed his sneakers were “running away.” Despite knowing it was against protocol, I couldn’t leave him confused and alone. Karen, the head nurse, fired me on the spot, claiming I violated procedures.

The next day, I was surprised when the elderly man, Harold, showed up at my door—no longer confused. He revealed he was the owner of the healthcare network and had been testing the ethics of his clinics. I was the only one who passed. He had fired Karen for lying and reported her for professional negligence.

Harold then offered me the opportunity to run a new dementia care facility, built on compassionate, patient-centered care. What I had once thought was the end of my career turned out to be the beginning of a new and fulfilling chapter, all because I chose kindness over protocol.