NURSING

Four Seasons Long Term Care Newsletter

Four Seasons Long Term Care Newsletter

Nursing Home Administrator Training Overview

Nursing Home Administrators are responsible for running effective and efficient nursing homes that comply with all state and federal requirements and health and safety codes. A bachelor's degree is required as part of Nursing Home Administrator training and is generally received in a health care-specific subject such as health services administration, public health or health sciences.

Most Nursing Home Administrators have earned a Master's degree in Public Health or a related field. In addition, each state requires Nursing Home Administrators to be licensed, which requires a minimum of a bachelor's degree supplemented by additional hours of coursework in long-term care, gerontology and personnel management(Bullough, 2006). Typically, to become a Nursing Home Administrator one must have three or more years of experience as a Director of Nursing Services or have completed a Board-approved internship.

Skills Acquired from Nursing Home Administrator Training Programs

* Nursing Home Administration

* Health Care Financial Management

* Legal Issues in Health Care

* Gerontology

* Personnel Management

Nursing Home Administrators direct operations and manage personnel at nursing home facilities. While some Nursing Home Administrators hold only a bachelor's degree in Health Care Administration or a related field, a master's degree is becoming the norm. Licensing requirements for Nursing Home Administrators vary by state.

Career Definition for a Nursing Home Administrator

Nursing Home Administrators are responsible for managing and monitoring a broad range of nursing home operations, including personnel, food service, marketing, and building maintenance and operations(Bullough, 2006). They also are accountable for their facilities' finances.

How to Become a Nursing Home Administrator

Required Education for a Career in Nursing Home Administration

Entry-level positions in Nursing Home Administration require at least a bachelor's degree in Health Care Administration, Business Administration, Gerontology or a related field. However, a master's degree in one of these disciplines may lead to more and better job opportunities. Courses in a Nursing Home Administration program may include critical issues in health care, human resource management, principles of marketing and health care economics.

Required Skills for a Career as a Nursing Home Administrator

Nursing Home Administrators must have the financial know-how to work with health insurance companies and patients to optimize quality and cost efficient operations at their facilities. Nursing Home Administration also requires strong leadership, communication and decision-making skills.

Career and Economic Outlook for Nursing Home Administration

With the baby boomer generation reaching retirement age, demand for nursing home facilities is expected to rise. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) predicts this will lead to 16% employment growth in health care management. Competition in this field is fierce as pay and benefits are rewarding. The median annual salary for Nursing Home Administrators is $90,397, according to Salary.com.

Gentiva Home Health is widely regarded as the industry leader because of the range and scope of nationwide services. However, only a small portion of the home health market is served by public companies (Gentiva, 2007). This organization also offers services to the elderly to assist them back to their activities of daily ...