How to Become a Nursing Home Administrator, Career Near Me

A nursing home administrator oversees the full-time operations of a nursing home. It is a highly-paid position, with most nursing home administrators earning near 6-figure salaries a year (in the USA). In order to find a job as a nursing home administrator, you must meet certain educational requirements as well as gain applicable experience, develop relevant skills, and pass the required exams for the state you want to work in.

Method 1 Meeting Education Requirements.

1. Complete a high school education. You must first graduate from high school in order to be able to pursue a higher degree that will qualify you to become a nursing home administrator. Work on getting a good GPA of 3.0 or higher to get into better universities .
Take the most challenging courses that your high school offers in math, science, business, and English. These courses will help prepare you for the university courses you will have to take.
2. Get a bachelor’s degree in nursing home administration or a related field. Other degree programs that will allow you to become a nursing home administrator include healthcare financial management, gerontology, and personnel management. Attend a university that offers these types of programs and earn a bachelor’s degree.
If you live in the USA, some states may not require you to hold a bachelor’s degree to become a nursing home administrator. Do a search online for “nursing home administrator requirements” in the state you want to work in to check what the exact requirements are.
Take a variety of administration courses during your studies such as long-term care administration, business administration, public health administration, and health services administration.
Tip: Registered nurses with clinical experience can also go on to become nursing home administrators. However, many nursing home administrators just have an education and experience focused on the administrative side of things.
3. Earn a relevant master’s degree to set yourself apart in interviews. A master’s degree is not required to become a nursing home administrator, but it will make you a more desirable candidate. Take courses to get a master’s degree in healthcare administration, gerontology, or another related field.
A master’s degree will also allow you to study more specific areas that interest you. For example, you can take courses related to acute care, senior services, data management, healthcare strategies, and many other more specialized courses.
Expect to spend an additional 1-2 years to earn your master’s degree after completing your bachelor’s degree education.
4. Enroll in continuing education based on the requirements where you want to work. You will need to complete a certain number of hours of continuing education each year after you become a licensed nursing home administrator. Check online for local requirements to know how many hours and what type of continuing education you need to enroll in.
For example, in the USA, nursing home administrators in California need to complete 40 hours of continuing education per year and in New York they must complete 48 hours.
These types of continuing education programs will help you stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the field and keep your skills sharp.
There are continuing education programs that offer both in-person classes or online-based courses.

Method 2 Gaining Experience and Developing Necessary Skills.

1. Complete an Administrator in Training internship program if required. Most states (if you live in the USA) require nursing home administrators to complete an Administrator in Training program before they are allowed to get licensed. Check the requirements for your state to see if this is necessary or if you can substitute regular experience in a nursing home for it.
For example, in New York, nursing home administrators must complete either a 12-month internship or 2 years of work experience.
Requirements are different in every state, so it’s important to do thorough research online to make sure you are following the correct procedure for getting the right experience.
2. Work in an administrative position in a nursing home facility to gain experience. Apply for lower-level and entry-level administrative positions at a nursing home or other healthcare facility. Work for up to 2 years in these types of positions before taking the licensing exam instead of completing an Administrator in Training program if your state allows it.
If you cannot get an administrative job at a nursing home right away, management positions in other types of healthcare facilities and even volunteer work at assisted living facilities will also help qualify you.
Tip: 2 years of work experience is usually enough to make you eligible to get licensed as a nursing home administrator. However, keep in mind that you may need several more years of experience before you actually land a job as one.
3. Develop your management and leadership skills. You will need to be able to efficiently hire and manage employees for the nursing home you work in. Work in jobs that allow you to gain management skills or volunteer for extra responsibilities at work to help you develop them.
As head of a nursing home, you will be responsible for leading the entire team of staff to make sure that the expectations of residents and their family members are met.
4. Work on your communication and interpersonal skills. A big part of your job as a nursing home administrator will be communicating with potential residents and their families. Take on jobs or job duties while you are gaining experience that allow you to improve your interpersonal and communication skills so you will be more prepared for the job.
For example, you could work in an entry-level administrative assistant role at a nursing home in which you may be the first line of communication to prospective residents or their families. This would provide you with valuable experience for a nursing home administrator role later on.

Method 3 Getting Licensed and Finding a Job.

1. Take a state exam if it is required for the state in which you want to work. Every state in the USA has different state exam requirements, so search online to find out if you need to take one. Look for practice materials and sample tests online to study for it, then take the exam.
Keep in mind that some states might require you to have completed an internship prior to taking the state exam.
State exams usually consist of a written test.
2. Take the national Nursing Home Administrator Licensing Exam. All nursing home administrators in the USA are required to take and pass a national licensing exam. You will be able to apply for jobs as a nursing home administrator after you pass the test.
The national exam can be taken online when you meet all the requirements needed in your state to do so. Check the licensing info page on the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards website to see the requirements for your state.
There are 150 questions on the test that are developed by nursing home administrators around the country. Test questions pertain to resident-centered care, quality of life, human resources, finance, environment, leadership, and management.
The fee for the core test is $300, no matter which state you live in. There are additional fees for extra licensing tests that some states offer.
Tip: You can order a 1-year subscription to the online study guide to prepare for the test for $150.
3. Search online for nursing home administrator jobs in your state and apply. Look on online job boards and career sites for open positions. Send in your application and wait for an interview if you are selected as a candidate.
Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get a nursing home administrator job right away. It is a highly-coveted position and many administrators often have up to 21 years of experience in the field.
If you don’t find a job that you want as a nursing home administrator, just keep working in related roles to gain more experience and be persistent until you find the right opportunity.