Working in a Nursing Home

Working in a Nursing Home Working at a nursing home is considerably different than working in a hospital setting. Most of the patients are elderly, and many are in the last stages of life. Unlike a hospital setting, the goal for most patients in a nursing home is not in need of medical attention, but rather routine medical care. As a nurse working in a nursing home environment, your job is to ensure the health and well being of the residents, and to provide medical care as needed. Nurses are also responsible for overseeing the patient’s medication. Although nursing assistants can administer most medicines, a registered nurse is generally responsible for ensuring the correct medication protocol is followed.

Related: Survival Tips for Night Shift Nurses Benefits of Working in a Nursing Home If you have never experienced the pleasure of working with elderly patients, you are truly missing out. They have wisdom and memories that can entertain anyone for hours. In today's modern world of technology, most of us can't imagine being without our cell phones, however many patients in nursing homes never even had home phones, it was a different world when many of them were young. While the patients benefit from your medical expertise, you can benefit from their knowledge and wisdom. There is also a great feeling that comes from providing care for an individual that may not be mobile, and relies on others for their needs. Visiting with and talking to the patients in a nursing home is enlightening and often entertaining. Some of the residents just have a knack for being a clown, and can make even the saddest of patients smile. As a nursing home nurse, you can provide care for a great generation of individuals, making the last part of their life as healthy and comfortable as possible. Nursing home residents should remain as active as possible, and as a medical provider, your job would entail providing encouragement for them to do so.

Common Nursing Home Employees (positions) Registered Nurses (RNs) Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) or Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) Physical Therapists (PTs) Nurses Registered Nurses (RNs) are required by law to assess the needs of nursing home residents. Once assessed, the RNs work with the Licensed Vocational

Nurses (LVNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) to plan and implement the residents’ care and treatment.

They also evaluate outcomes of the facility’s residents. These nursing home employees are all required to be licensed in the state in which they work.

RNs are typically required to have between two and six years of education.

LPNs and LVNs typically have a year of training.

Nursing Assistants- Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) work under licensed nurses. CNAs typically assist with maintaining health and wellbeing in terms of daily activities. They help residents with tasks such as eating, hygiene, grooming, dressing, and using the bathroom.

Full time CNAs are required to complete nurse assistant training or a competency evaluation program within four months of becoming permanently employed. CNAs must also undergo continuing education every year.

Nursing Home Dietician Federal nursing home laws require every nursing home to have a qualified dietitian who works for the facility full-time, part-time, or as a consultant.

The dietician receives federal qualification in two ways. The first is registration by the American Dietetic Association’s Commission on Dietetic Registration. The other is through training, education, or experience in the identification of dietary planning, needs, and implementation of dietary programs.

If the dietician is not a full-time employee, the nursing home is required to designate a director of food service. The director of food service is required to receive frequent consultation from the dietician.

Related: Are your Patients Lying?

Administration and Support Employees Administration and maintenance employees do not play a large role in the daily activities of nursing home residents. The size of a nursing home’s administration team depends on the size of the nursing home. In some cases, the administration team consists of a few employees. In larger nursing homes, the staff may consist of dozens of employees in separate departments such as human resources, accounting, and the like. Support employees include those such as maintenance employees, custodians, and groundskeepers. These types of nursing home employees are responsible for maintaining the functioning and appearance of the nursing home. Support employees may also include activities directors or coordinators. These

nursing home employees may plan events and social activities within the nursing home.

Nursing Home Staffing Requirements Federal law states certain staffing requirements for all nursing homes. The main requirement is that the nursing home has sufficient staff members to ensure proper care for all residents. However, there is no specific required number of staff members present during different times of the day.

One registered nurse (RN) is required to be on duty for a minimum of eight hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, either an RN or licensed practical or vocational nurse (LPN/LVN) should be on duty 24 hours a day.

Some states have additional requirements for nursing home staffing.

Information on staffing requirements for each state can be obtained through the state’s health department.

Working in a nursing home environment is certainly equally as important as working in a hospital, however, as a general rule, it is a slower pace. There are some emergencies, however many days are uneventful and may require routine care, medication management, and monitoring chronic medical conditions. Most registered nurses that work in a nursing home have fewer coworkers that are registered nurses; so much of the critical care responsibility will rest on you during your working shift. Your choice of working environment should be one that you are comfortable with, know that it is a good fit, and that you are providing a great service as a major part of a medical team.

If you have a desire to work in a nursing care facility, it may benefit you to volunteer for a short time and decide if that is a career that would be a good fit for your nursing skills. Most facilities will happily welcome volunteers, so check the volunteer coordinator or activities director.

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