RN Jobs in Nursing Homes
Jobs in nursing homes offer a residency to people who require constant care either because they are no longer able to adequately look after themselves or they have diminished capacity relating to activities of daily living. If you want to work with elderly people or people with physical or mental disabilities you will find interesting and rewarding jobs in a nursing home, skilled nursing unit, or rest home.
There are a number of positions which may be required in nursing homes and the extent of these is dependent on the size of the facility, the number of residents and the nature of the patient’s infirmities. Most nursing homes have a combination of nursing staff and typically will be a mix of the following
- Registered Nurse
- Licensed Practical Nurse
- Licensed Vocational Nurse
- Nurse Assistant
- Minimum Data Set (MDS) Coordinator
If the nursing home is for long term patients with an expectation of returning home and back to work, the staff might include occupational therapy practitioners.
Nursing Home Jobs Philosophy
The objective of any nursing home job is to provide a quality of care to residents. The care is delivered to agreed standards of professional and ethical practice by qualified and trained staff. The well-being of the residents is paramount – they are to be treated as an individual and with respect.
Education and Expected Salary
The educational standards and qualifications required for nursing home jobs depends on the individual job you want to do. If you are an existing practicing nurse you will already have gained your license or certificate either through a degree course or internship or practical experience and exams. Most states require that nursing home jobs are filled by qualified staff so it is unlikely to find a trainee position in a nursing home and so you’ll need to qualify by one of the standard routes.
For a job as an MDS coordinator you’ll need to have a current nursing license as either an RN or LPN. There is a certification qualification which is desirable but not essential. The accredited MDS certificate program is offered by The American Association of Nursing Assessment Coordinators.
The salaries for nursing home jobs are as wide as the scope of the types of jobs. Each type of job will have a basic range you can expect your salary to fall between. For example an nursing assistant should expect to earn about $10 per hour, while an RN should expect to be paid $25.00 because she’s had much more education and training. As can be expected the better qualified you are the better your potential salary.
Scope of Nursing Home Jobs
Nursing homes provide the full range of care to ensure quality of life for the residents so the jobs undertaken on a day to day basis will not only be the basics of general care, but also a total response to the residents’ needs. With all residents being individuals there is a wide scope for variety. Regardless of the type of home however, you will only be able to work within the rules of your qualification. For example, as a nurse assistant or a certified nurse assistant there are more restrictions in that you are not allowed to administer drugs.
Roles of a Nursing Home Worker
The day to day work of Nursing Home Jobs is very extensive in scope because of the needs of residents. Some may require 24 hour care and others only occasionally. Other factors can influence the tasks required, as well. For instance, in a smaller nursing home an RN or LPN may be required to undertake the more menial tasks that are expected of a CNA or NA.
You also need to be aware that generally nursing home work falls into two recognized categories and this should influence your decision about where to work. Care is provided under either task-oriented care which means that you carry out a specific set of tasks among the entire resident population or specific wards or resident-oriented care which is where care giving staff is assigned to particular patients. If you want a job in a nursing home because you are passionate about developing a relationship with patients you will need to find a position in a home with a philosophy of resident-oriented care.