Commenter:
Laura Nichols, Northern Virginia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
Registered nurses should not be licensed assisted living administrators unless passing the exam.
The licensing requirements for assisted living administrators should require the same test in order to ensure that all administrators understand and follow the rules and regulations required in assisted living.
Although Registered Nurses have many skill sets and are very important in long term care settings, the skills required to be an administrator are very different from the skills required to practice as an RN. Administrators are obligated to address a number of varied issues and follow additional regulations to ensure that their facility is meeting the care needs of residents. They must address staffing of all areas, facility licensing, business management, and other issues within the long-term care facility in addition to medical issues. RN’s should be licensed as administrators only after demonstrating that they have both the experience and skill set to be assisted living administrators by meeting the training requirements and by taking and passing the exam as set forth in the regulations. To require any less would indicate that RN’s have the same skill set as required for administrators.
