Acting as Nursing Home Administrator Without License, Research Paper Example

When identifying the major requirements for the position of a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator in the state of Missouri, it is important to point out first that the nursing home administrator is “a person who administers, manages, supervises, or is in general administrative charge of a nursing home, whether such individual has an ownership interest in the home, and whether his functions and duties are shared with one or more individuals” (Definitions, 2008). According to Allen (2007), the basic training requirements for the Nursing Home Administrator are a Bachelor’s Degree, usually in the field of health care, and a license, which an applicant has to get in accordance with the state laws. Nowadays, however, many Nursing Home Administrators prefer to earn Master’s Degree in Public Health or other related field in order to stay competitive and highly qualified among the other applicants. Additional hours of “coursework in long-term care, gerontology and personnel management” may be useful as well, accompanied with “three or more years of experience as a Director of Nursing Services or completion of a Board-approved internship” (Nursing Home Administrator Training).

On the whole, training plays a vital role in the profession of a Nursing Home Administrator, but the license, on the other hand, is the most important component that any practicing Nursing Home Administrator can not dispense with. According to the state of Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Statutes, “no person shall act or serve in the capacity of a nursing home administrator without first procuring a license from the Missouri board of nursing home administrators” (License, qualifications, fee, examination, term–reciprocity–emergency license, 2008). The major requirements for the license applicant, according to the Missouri Revised Statutes, are that of the applicant must be “twenty-one years of age or over, of good moral character and a high school graduate or equivalent”. The applicant should as well “provide the board with satisfactory proof that he/she has had a minimum of three years’ experience in health care administration or two years of postsecondary education in health care administration or has satisfactorily completed a course of instruction and training prescribed by the board and pass the examinations also administered by the board”. In addition, the board may issue a license to any person who is already a licensed nursing home administrator in any other state, territory, or the District of Columbia, “if the regulations for securing such license are equivalent to those required in the state of Missouri”, otherwise, “no license shall be issued until the applicant passes a special examination approved by the board, which will examine the applicant’s knowledge of specific provisions of Missouri statutes and regulations pertaining to nursing homes” (License, qualifications, fee, examination, term–reciprocity–emergency license, 2008).  Any practicing Nursing Home Administrator in the state of Missouri found not properly licensed “is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished as provided by law. The board shall immediately notify the licensing authority for nursing homes whenever a proceeding has been initiated to suspend or revoke the license of a nursing home administrator and whenever the license of a nursing home administrator is suspended, revoked, or not renewed” (Acting as nursing home administrator without license, penalty, 2008).

In regards to the subject of continuing education one should point out that the list of Missouri’s Board of Nursing Home Administrators approved CE programs can be found on the board’s official website http://www.dhss.mo.gov/BNHA/. The list incorporates the name of the program, location and contact number as well as approval number and needed hours. All in all, in the nursing home administration field, participation in continuing education programs gives not only a sense of personal satisfaction and advancement but also allows for the increased levels of professional experience as well as potential financial benefits.

Generally, the Nursing Home Administrator’s scope of practice reflects the basic managerial functions in a way that the administrators have to plan, organize, staff, direct and control the flow of the nursing home operations (Allen, 2007). According to Wallace & Korn (1974), they plan and direct operations of nursing homes and long-term care facilities as well as supervise personnel, financial, medical, and nursing administration.

All in all, the American market is currently experiencing a moderate shortage of qualified nursing home staff, which only add up to the apprehensiveness of the future shortage in the field. It can be attributed to a couple of reasons. First of all, it takes a lot of time and experience in order to get all the necessary educational levels and professional experience. Accompanied with high levels of financial expenses, nursing home staff careers attract less attention than those fields that demand for less experience and monetary inputs. On the other hand, however, the job requirements for such professionals are high, which boosts the competitiveness levels up high, discouraging some of the applicants from the further advancement in the chosen field.

When considering the recruitment process for the Nursing Home Administration applicants, it is undoubtedly that the applicant must provide the employer with all the necessary paper work as well as appropriate licensing and previous experience. However, one should keep in mind that “to be a successful Nursing Home Administrator over a sustained period of years requires that one be excited and passionate about the profession” (Allen, 2007). Recruiters should make sure the applicants are passionate enough in order to physically, emotionally and mentally committee to the chosen profession as, according to Kriegel (1991), “the thing that makes a difference between a good manager and an inspiring, dynamic leader goes beyond competence. It’s passion”.

HR practices in nursing homes are more prescribed than for most other health care institutions. According to Allen (2007), “this is the result of the federal requirements and state regulation, which carefully delineate qualifications for each type of staff position and require minimum staffing in nearly every area of the facility”. One should remember that nursing care is all about looking after people. For this reason, the quality of life and the overall success of the nursing home depend directly on the interactions between residents and staff members, because once the physical facilities “are in place at a minimally adequate level, the patient’s satisfaction with the facility varies directly with their satisfaction with the staff performance” (Allen, 2007). So, the main HR responsibilities in this field are to hire professionals that are not only qualification fit but also possess necessary psychological characteristics and skills in order to communicate successfully with the home’s residents.

References

Acting as nursing home administrator without license, penalty. Section 344.100. Nursing Home Administrators . Chapter 344. (August 28, 2008). Missouri Revised Statutes. L. 1969 3d Ex. Sess. H.B. 33 10, A.L. 1979 S.B. 145.

Allen, James E. (2007). Nursing Home Administration. Ed. 5. Springer Publishing Company.

Definitions. Section 344.010. Nursing Home Administrators . Chapter 344. (August 28, 2008). Missouri Revised Statutes.  L. 1969 3d Ex. Sess. H.B. 33 1, A.L. 1980 H.B. 1530 Revision, A.L. 1984 S.B. 451, A.L. 1987 S.B. 277.  (Reprinted due to the editorial change required by 198.005).

Kriegel, R. J. (1991). If it ain’t broken…break it. New York: Time Warner.

License, qualifications, fee, examination, term–reciprocity–emergency license. Section 344.020. Nursing Home Administrators . Chapter 344. (August 28, 2008). Missouri Revised Statutes.  L. 1969 3d Ex. Sess. H.B. 33 2, A.L. 1989 S.B. 387, A.L. 2007 H.B. 780.

Nursing Home Administrator Training. Retrieved Oct. 11, 2009, from http://education-portal.com/nursing_home_administrator_training.html.

Wallace, Sydney D. & Korn, Steven E. (1974). Nursing Home Administration: the administrator’s role.