The president of a nursing home is many times referred to as the nursing home administrator. This person has the largest amount of responsibility, directing the operations of the nursing facility as well as setting the tone of the medical center. To enter into this profession, it will be extremely valuable for you to possess a master’s degree in health administration; however, the exact requirements that you will need to meet will depend on the particular place of employment that you are seeking a job through.
Nursing Home Environments
Some nursing homes are extremely large, making available 100 or more beds. Others are smaller, with only 25 beds or fewer. Your educational credentials and years of experience working in the healthcare industry will narrow down the list of the nursing homes that you should seek employment through. On the other hand, if you have a master’s degree as well as many years of experience, you may find you have the option to work within almost any nursing home of your choosing that has an open administrator position.
Becoming a Nursing Home President
To become a nursing home president, you will need at least a bachelor’s degree in health administration. Sometimes, but very rarely, you may be able to secure employment in a small nursing home with just an associate’s degree.
If you choose to earn only a bachelor’s level degree, the coursework you will complete with focus on the following topics:
– Marketing
– Healthcare law
– Public relations
– Personnel management
– Accounting
– Medical ethics
– Medical records management
– U.S. healthcare system
– Operations management
A bachelor’s program will take you about four years to complete; however, before securing an administration position, you will probably have to obtain three to five years of experience working in a lower-level healthcare position.
Master’s Program
If you choose to earn a master’s in health administration, you will first have to obtain your bachelor’s; however, your master’s can usually be earned in as little as a year after earning your bachelor’s, making this credential something you should seriously consider earning. With a master’s, you will notice more job opportunities as well as an increase in your pay level.
Your master’s program will focus on the following topics:
– Advanced healthcare marketing
– Legal issues
– Research methodology
– Decision-making in healthcare
– Finance
– Advanced statistics
Securing a Job Position
To help secure your employment as the president of a nursing home, you will need to gain much relevant work experience, including:
– Volunteer work in hospitals and nursing homes
– Customer service positions in nursing homes
– Management experience in some type of health-related environment
Rewarding Career
Pursuing the occupation of a nursing home president can lead to a very exciting and rewarding career. If you want to become the president of a large nursing home, you will most likely need to obtain a master’s in health administration. On the other hand, if you are seeking employment through a smaller facility, you may be able to get away with having only a bachelor’s degree.
