AppId is over the quota
Countless times I have been approached by my own employees and outside vendors asking me "Mrs. Janoyan, how can I become an administrator?" or "Mrs. Lusine, do you have an administrator in training program? position?" And my response has always been "even if I don't take you on as my AIT, you can find ways to become an Administrator." The real question is "are you prepared to become one?" "is this for you?"
The unfortunate fact remains that as many great administrators that are out there, who are an inspiration to many and take wonderful care of our frail elderly, there are that many more unprepared administrators. It is not their fault that they didn't learn how to do the right thing, or to do it the right way, or are just not cut out to deal with the stresses of being a nursing home administrator.
My observation has been that many perceive the administrator's job as being easy or not as demanding and think that if they get to this position, all will be well. That is not the case. The perception can be from two sources, 1. The NHA does such a good job that he/she makes it look really easy 2. The NHA doesn't really do anything and delegates Everything to his/her subordinates.
In reality, this position is highly volatile. All it takes is one bad lawsuit, one bad survey, one really angry family member/employee or one natural disaster to cause all hell to break loose. The Administrator has to be prepared for everything and anything 24 hours a day. I can think of countless stories that I will save for other articles. The Administrator is a captain of a large ship who has to keep it afloat and the slightest mistake can cause the ship to sink. Hence, it is crucial that individuals who choose to become a licensed nursing home administrator consider the good, the bad and the ugly prior to resuming with their decision. Much research is to be done prior to investing many hours to obtaining this license.
Now, we also have to consider the regulatory environment in the different States. The license requires two examinations, a federal exam which is computerized and really tests your decision making abilities more than anything else, and a State exam that varies from State-to-State that is multiple choice. It is similar to having passed the BAR exam to practice law in a different State.
Having said that, the regulatory bodies operate very differently both within the State and on a National level. Yes, we have to know the regulations inside and out as well as, hire the right people to enforce them on a daily basis, but it's not as easy as that.
The State and Federal surveys are in place to ensure compliance, but they are not always accurate in their assessment of the condition of the facility. As my colleagues and I always concur, we can go into ANY facility and find a deficiency in reference to the regulations, but it doesn't mean that it is a terrible place for your loved one. With the same token, facilities that get zero deficiencies are definitely not perfect.
So there are several key important areas of knowledge and experience that one should obtain prior to starting their work as an official Nursing Home Administrator.
Stay tuned for my next article that will discuss these points.
Lusine Janoyan
