Nursing Home Administrator Job Description

Nursing Home Administrator job duties are considerable, and vary from building to building depending on size, level of care, managerial structure, and focus. Generally, this position acts as the director of the facility and is ultimately responsible for all patient care and business decisions. Specifically, Nursing Home Administrator job duties may include:

Manage the day-to-day operations of the facility and keep the organization on track for its long term goals and mission
Coordinate and provide leadership to each clinical, managerial, and custodial team, and ensure that they work together effectively
Hire (and fire) staff and employees at every level
Ensure the facility operates in compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations
Coordinate with clinical staff to ensure residents’ individual care plans are being followed
Provide regular safety and compliance training
Create and maintain a budget
Oversee billing and set fees
Act as the ‘face’ of the organization to the governing board, the public, and residents’ families; and as a liaison between staff, residents, and families

Given the 24/7 nature of nursing homes, Nursing Home Administrators often work non-standard hours, and/or more than forty hours per week, and may be on-call on nights, weekends, and holidays. The Nursing Home Administrator role requires little to no clinical work. Most time is spent interacting with residents, families and staff, or in meetings, and requires excellent skills in time and stress management, a calm, patient, and professional demeanor, and deep understanding of both the clinical and business aspects of running an acute care or nursing facility.

Job Titles Related to Nursing Home Administrator (NHA)

Depending on the size and focus of the facility, Nursing Home Administrators sometimes go by other names, such as LNHA, NHA, Assisted Nursing Home Administrator, and Executive Director.

Nursing Home Administrator Job Requirements

request an interim The minimum educational requirement for Nursing Home Administrator jobs is a Bachelor’s of Science degree from an accredited college or university. However, most Nursing Home Administrators have a Master’s of Health Administration (MHA) or a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) in healthcare management. State licensure is also required. Qualified candidates for Nursing Home Administrator positions are those with years of experience in the senior living, nursing home, or healthcare fields, and who have specialized training in the areas of health and gerontology. Further, those already in Nursing Home Administrator jobs are required to accrue 150 continuing education credits every 5 years.

Nursing Home Administrator Salary Range

The mean annual salary for a Nursing Home Administrator can range depending on geographic location as well as the size of the community. According to salary.com, the mean annual salary for Nursing Home Administrator jobs is $109,692 but those with a Master's degree, advanced certifications, and/or ten years or more of experience could expect to earn a higher amount annually. On average, the annual salary can range from $97,000-$122,000.

Job Outlook for Nursing Home Administrators

The outlook for Nursing Home Administrator jobs is very good. The aging of the baby-boom population and the fact that a large number of senior living industry executives and high-level administrators are reaching retirement age will create an increased demand for Nursing Home Administrators and a decrease in the number of available candidates. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that “employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow 20 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations.”

Job Hunter Resources

LeaderStat helps the nation’s top long-term care and senior living organizations fill Nursing Home Administrator and Executive Director positions. We have suggestions on how to advance your career into the administrative and executive director fields, and our senior living industry recruiters can be an invaluable resource to help you find the right nursing home administrator position.

Nursing Home Administrator:
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