Introduction
There will always be elderly and disabled persons who need assistance in society. The large number of baby boomers retiring increases the need for certified assisted living administrators (ALA). When needy people live in nursing homes, they require the help of a nursing home administrator. Nursing facilities are supervised by licensed nursing home administrators (LNHAs) (Pratt, 2015). These homes provide medical treatment and accommodation for the elderly and disabled. LNHAs oversee all the homes’ clinical and administrative aspects, ensuring that they run smoothly (Gendron et al., 2017). Because nursing homes have a big team of nurses, caregivers, and other health workers providing 24-hour care, an LNHA plays a crucial role in managing the homes. Staff, patients, registrations, finances, records, maintenance of equipment and improvements, and compliance with federal standards are all managed by LNHAs.
Nursing home administrators work in various settings, including nursing homes, assisted living communities, and retirement communities. LNHAs should have excellent leadership qualities to maintain a secure and convenient environment for personnel and patients in every location. The scope of work for LNHAs entails management and calls for stress management. For this reason, many states require that all assisted living administrators be certified and licensed to work in their capacity (Magruder et al., 2018). Students should first get a bachelor’s or master’s degree in healthcare administration before applying for state and national licensure. Certification usually entails verification of relevant college education and undertaking national and state examinations. These protocols are followed to ensure that all LNHAs are well equipped to handle their roles in long-term care.
Steps to be Followed
As with every profession, ALAs are required to follow the laid-out procedure to obtain certification and be allowed to practice. Although different states have different requirements, some rules cut across all states. Working in this scope requires that one acquires the relevant education first. A student should enroll and complete a bachelor’s degree in health management, other specialized training, and LNHAs licensure. In some states, assisted living administrators are required to undertake an ethics course to ascertain that they would adhere to the laid out codes of conduct. In addition to education, one has to apply for licensure and take both national and state exams.
To be competitive in the assisted care administrator scope, one needs to gain practical experience through internships and available practicums. The internships allow a student to put their classroom education to work and fill any gaps in knowledge. With the necessary skill, passion, and determination, one can now move towards licensure. The licensure requires one to download, fill, and submit five main forms: NH-1, NH-6, NH-8, NH-9, and NH-10, after which they are to take national and state exams. The NH forms 8, 9, and 10 refer to the student’s involvement in internships.
Procedure for Licensure
- Step 1: download, print, and fill the five license application forms.
- Step 2: pay a non-refundable license application fee. This fee varies between states, with some charging up to $100 (Magruder et al., 2018). The application fee is mandatory, and none can be evaluated or approved without it. An applicant is expected to print the payment confirmation message as proof of payment. Without this proof, the license application would be rejected even if the applicant already paid the fees.
- Step 3: gather the relevant application documents. Having met the two steps above, an applicant is now ready to apply for licensure. At this point, they need to put together a proof of educational qualification, the completed application forms, proof of fees payment, and letters of reference from three sources with the exception of the administrator.
- Step 4: send the application, including all forms, to the license administrators’ board. If the application is approved, the board sends a letter to the applicant requiring them to undertake the licensing exams.
National and State Licensing Examinations
The National Association of Long-Term Care Association Board (NAB) is responsible for ensuring that all licensed (LNHAs) pass the tests proving their competence. As a rule, candidates should pass at least one of the below fifty item line of service (LOS) examination units as well as the one hundred item Core of Knowledge assessment module (Yee-Melichar et al., 2020). From my understanding, these exams are meant to evaluate every aspect of a candidate’s readiness for the LNHA role.
To pass these examinations and be licensed, I will need to put in consistent and intensive study. I will adjust my study routine so that I can handle every topic studied in my course. This is to ensure that I will be ready regardless of the topics addressed in the examinations. I will also loom for peers and graduates who have done the same course so that we can share knowledge. Since the NAB exams have been done for many years, the chances are that there may be some repeated questions from previous years. For this reason, I will look for LNHAs who undertook the examinations to advise me on the best way to prepare for the examinations.
Influence of the Biblical Worldview
Although I cannot describe myself as a religious person, I believe in biblical principles and always endeavor to apply them in my life. As an aspiring LNHA, I believe that my role will have a bearing on people’s life and well-being. From my religious beliefs, I understand that God intended for people to support each other and offer themselves to lift the lowly people in society. This biblical worldview impacts my desire to study extensively and pass the board examinations in order to be licensed. It motivates me to work hard and use every opportunity given to better the lives of the elderly and disabled in society. From our course text, I learned that leadership calls for effective communication and organization skills (Pratt, 2015). This knowledge, in addition to my religious beliefs, encourages me to be responsible and foster effective communication at all times.
Lessons Learned
The course has enlightened me on long-term care and given me a new perspective of my career. Before taking this course, I knew little about long-term care. By this time, I understand that being an administrator in charge of the assisted-care facility calls for commitment in my education and a desire for continuous improvement. LNHAs have a big responsibility to ensure that the elderly and disabled have a conducive environment where they can live securely. From the course text, controlling is one of the crucial roles that an LNHA would have to play (Pratt, 2015). For this reason, it is important to invest in good communication, coordination, and organization skills even in my studies.
I have also learned that as one starts from an entry-level position, one may be promoted if their conduct is exceptional. Communication, integrity, and ethical conduct are essential pillars of an LNHA. These traits, if well mastered, would enable me to pass the NAB examinations and have a successful career practice. In essence, long-term care is a promising career that is experiencing a growing need for licensed professionals. As the number of baby boomers entering retirement is growing, many students need to put in the effort to grab their positions as assisted living professionals.
Conclusion
Assisted living administrators are among the most sought-after professionals, especially now that the number of elderly people is increasing. Due to several factors such as disability and poverty, many elderly people need to be taken care of at nursing homes. Taking care of such people requires a high level of integrity and ethical conduct. NAB is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that all LNHAs are assessed and evaluated on all aspects that would make them effective administrators and caregivers. Owing to the critical nature of the profession, students are required to demonstrate excellence from their studies, internship experience, and employment.
The process followed for licensing assisted living administrators entails ensuring that candidates have the necessary academic qualification and field experience. In the application for licensure, candidates fill forms NH-1, NH-6, NH-8, NH-9, and NH-10 and submit them to NAB. If their applications are accepted, they can then proceed to take the examinations. I believe that working with the assisted living is not just a duty but an application of personal, professional, and religious worldviews. I believe that God wants people to help and support each other in the best way possible. I am motivated to do all that it takes to be licensed as an assisted living administrator and have a successful career.
References
Gendron, T. L., Pryor, J. M., & Welleford, E. A. (2017). Lessons learned from a program evaluation of a statewide continuing education program for staff members working in assisted living and adult daycare centers in Virginia.Journal of Applied Gerontology, 36(5), 610-628. Web.
Magruder, K. J., Fields, N. L., & Xu, L. (2018). Sizing up assisted living: An examination of long-term care ombudsman complaint data.Home health care services quarterly, 37(3), 158-176. Web.
Pratt, J. (2015). Long-term care: Managing across the continuum. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Yee-Melichar, D., Flores, C., & Boyle, A. R. (2020). Assisted Living Administration and Management: Effective Practices and Model Programs in Elder Care. Springer.