Nursing homes come a long way in their assistance to the elderly, disabled persons, and people who cannot properly care for themselves (CareerBuilder, 2016). What is more, these homes can be an extension of a hospital, whereby registered nurses monitor and treat patients therein (WebMD, 2005). Devoid of them, such vulnerable groups would be having it rougher than they already do when fending for themselves. Notably, such individuals either have cynical families, or the lack thereof, thereby forcing such circumstances to confine them into nursing homes. These homes are either run by the government or by privatized institutions; regardless, they all require the superintendence by nursing home administrators (CareerBuilder, 2016). The range of services available to the persons confined in nursing homes includes medical services, social services, personal services, and emotional needs for needy persons (WebMD, 2005). For this reason, nursing homes are fundamentally critical in any economy, and, consequently, Texas.
Role of Nursing Home Administrators
It sure does take a lot of courage and perseverance to care for people in nursing homes due to the complexity of their situations. Nursing home administrators are seen as an asset in these facilities since they oversee that most of the required activities are performed effectively (CareerBuilder, 2016). Suffice it to say, they have a somewhat uphill task in ascertaining that adequate care and support is demonstrated to individuals confined into these homes. Besides supervisory roles, they have other responsibilities, which will be discussed below.
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For instance, they are tasked with recruiting responsibilities, whereby they are mandated to bring onboard the most-suitable staff required for the job (CareerBuilder, 2016). It is pertinent to ascertain that only the best personnel is accorded the duty to care for these needy individuals; hence, nursing home administrators need to be vigilant in this duty to avoid situations where incompetence comes into play non-qualification. This duty allows them to subject prospective employees to psychometric tests to gauge their level of competitiveness. Additionally, nursing home administrators conduct performance reviews on employees to determine their levels of work ethics and efficacy (CareerBuilder, 2016).
Far from that, they handle finances required in nursing homes. It is essential to properly manage the funds provided to nursing homes with minimal to no wastage (Terry, 2020). Because of this, nursing home administrators oversee that transactions are computed transparently. Moreover, these administrators also develop quality improvement strategies to project their long-term goal of competency (Terry, 2020). Exemplary quality is required in business administration due to the benefits that accrue from it, for instance, customer satisfaction, business success, etc. This said it is salient for nursing home administrators to maintain high-quality standards for proficiency purposes.
On top of that, nursing home administrators institute policies that need to be followed to the letter in nursing homes (CareerBuilder, 2016). By establishing necessary stringent measures, some order is executed, enabling associated persons to realize the required stipulations. Compliance with such standards set-down is pertinent in ensuring that these institutions become guided by protocol and comply with government requirements. The latter is salient in getting absolved from criminal prosecutions arising out of non-compliance. The mentioned responsibilities cover the core duties of nursing home administrators. Competent nursing home administrators handle their tasks proficiently to ensure that nursing homes' goal is achieved, which entails providing extensive care to its members.
Qualification as a Nursing Home Administrator
Getting entrusted with such a significant position does not happen overnight. Even in Arlington, candidates need to meet specific criteria to assure board members that they are well-suited for the job. In light of this, to become a licensed nursing home administrator, prospective candidates are required to have already graduated from high school, to begin with. This happens to be a primary and almost obvious criterion, as high school education is invaluable in instilling required background information required for virtually any job. Specifically, credits in Biology, Mathematics, Languages, and Chemistry are prioritized, as they contribute significantly to instilling the basics needed for this kind of job (MHA, 2020).
On top of that, securing a degree in nursing, health administration, and any other related field is pertinent in qualifying one as a nursing home administrator (MHA, 2020). Potential candidates interested in this line of business need to pursue these courses as they come in handy when providing them with all the relevant knowledge, as far as health care nursing is concerned. Notably, a Masters and a Doctorate in the mentioned fields is an additional advantage. It is worth appreciating that these tertiary educational levels largely determine whether the students will succeed in becoming nursing health care specialists at the very basic.
Several institutions are certified in providing such accolades: some of them include Maryville University, Utica College, USC Leonard Davis, Kents State University, etc. (MHA, 2020). In Texas, long-term care happens to be very expensive. Because of this Medicare coverage has assisted a lot in funding such, significantly enabling needing persons to seek the required assistance for their overall good. This funding is done by Medicaid, which is funded by Federal and State resources. On average, this organization provides funding to over four million Texans (NOLO, 2020). To further demonstrate their professionality, the organization only sponsors individuals whose situation is “medically necessary (NOLO, 2020).
Gaining sufficient work experience is also necessary for warranting one for this position (MHA, 2020). This step is crucial in enhancing the incorporation of the acquired skills into the actual business. Candidates with a work-experience base are at a greater advantage than their contrary counterparts. Such candidates know stipulated requirements and how to maneuver through this line of work. Lastly, an actual qualification license is mandatory as the final step in qualifying participants for this job. These licenses further certify that the candidates are, indeed, overly fit for the job and can be relied on for availing top-notch services.
As aforementioned, this line of work is not easy; therefore, availing commendable job is paved by first having a practicing license. Before acquiring such a license, prospective candidates are subjected to examinations that test their skills, knowledge, and competency (Jerry, 2020). These examinations are supposedly very technical, which is necessary to filter out partially-certified candidates, as this field requires nil compromises during qualification. The said examinations are usually administered by the National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB). On top of this, there are several other lines of services exams that are available to potential candidates; they include Nursing Home Assistance (NHA), Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS), and Residential Care and Assisted Living (RCAL) (MHA, 2020). However, to be viable to take these examinations, potential candidates need first to be approved by a state licensure board (NAB, 2020)
NAB Examinations
These examinations are computer-based; they are designed this way to increase reliability and accuracy in administering questions. There are a total of 150 questions and five main areas of assessment, including Finance, Human Resources, Environment, Leadership and Management, and Resident-Centered Care and Quality of Life (LTCExam, 2018). The licensure board recommends a minimum score of 113 out of the possible 150 to certify a candidate as qualified (NAB 2012).
As a prospective candidate for the examination, I need to follow certain measures to ensure that I pass the NAB exams to qualify as a nursing home administrator. First, thorough preparation of the examinations is required. Just like in every other subject, this stringent measure in inevitable. It is always a universal requirement to properly-prepare for examinations to guarantee stellar performance. For instance, I can familiarize myself with the “Watermelon Book," which is the Bible for certified nursing home administrators globally (NAB, 2012). This book comes in handy for prospective candidates since it avails much information that is required in this line of work.
Moreover, the elimination strategy could come a long way in guaranteeing excellent performance in the papers. With some background knowledge, this strategy could help eliminate absurd choices, leaving me with possible answers, whereby I will only require to choose the most reasonable ones. Given, some of the examination questions are multiple-based; hence, this method would best be applied to such problems (NAB. 2012). Moreover, it is pertinent that I remain composed during the examination period. This step is necessary to maintain that I have the right attitude for the examination, which involves neither being underconfident nor overconfident. Composure is vital in ensuring that I am confident enough that my toil will pay off generously. It is advisable to face the questions at face value, without expecting anything prior, but merely believing that what was revised was enough (NAB, 2012).
Conclusion
From the above discussion, it can be seen that the nursing home administration position requires educational excellence, besides mere hard work and persistence when handling patients. These stringent measures further aid in qualifying this job as extremely par. Because of this, nursing home administrators should be appraised for their exemplary work in taking care of people that are sometimes neglected by their own. Appreciatively, Arlington has provided avenues to simplify this for potential nursing home administrators.
Works Cited
Jerry, Christa (2020). “What Does a Nursing Home Administrator Do?” Available at https://www.noodle.com/articles/what-does-a-nursing-home-administrator-do-job-responsibilities
MHA (2020). “How to Become a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator (LNHA).” Available at https://www.mhaonline.com/faq/how-do-i-become-a-nursing-home-administrator
WebMD (2005). “What Caregivers Should Know About Nursing Home Care: What is Long-Term Care?” Available at https://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/nursing-home-care#1
NBA (2012). “Dissecting the Nursing Home: Guide to Senior.” Available at https://longtermadministrator.tumblr.com/post/34985106393/passing-the-nab-exam
LTCExam (2018). “A Window into the Nursing Home Administrators Exam.” Available at https://ltcexam.com/window-nursing-home-administrators-exam/
