Nursing Home Jobs

There are numerous jobs within a nursing home. As a skilled care facility, a nursing home requires hands-on patient care staff, dietary staff, clerical staff, and maintenance staff. Regardless of the position, nursing home workers share a common passion for compassionate health care and work to maintain the dignity and quality of life that their residents enjoy.

Perhaps the most visible employees in a nursing home are the nursing staff. Nursing staff is generally led by a registered nurse, or RN, who holds a college degree in nursing. RN’s are licensed by the states in which they practice. RN’s are licensed to administer medications, give injections, start intravenous infusions, and administer oxygen. In a nursing home, the RN’s most important duties include the oversight of the resident’s overall health and medical history to ensure that they are receiving the best overall care. They monitor test results such as blood pressure measurements and blood sugar levels and consult with the resident’s primary care physician to adjust medication dosages and schedules. They also oversee some of the allied health professionals that work in the nursing home.

One such allied health professional is the licensed practical nurse, or LPN. Like RN’s, LPN’s are state certified and able to administer much of the same medications and treatments as an RN, but they have less formal nursing education; generally about one year. An LPN’s training is generally technical in nature allowing them to focus on many of the hands-on aspects of health care, such as medication administration and wound care, while the RN’s scope of practice encompasses the overall health of a patient and takes on more of a health management role. This working relationship affords the resident greater and more frequent access to their care givers and frees the RN’s to focus on the overall well being of the individual resident.

Another allied professional that is part of the health care team is the certified nursing assistant, or CNA. CNA’s are generally certified by the state and have about 300 hours of education that focuses on patient transfer techniques, bed making, and patient monitoring. Many CNA’s are nursing students and are able to draw on their nursing education to better care for their residents and interact with the skilled nursing staff. In the nursing home, CNA’s can be found assisting residents in their daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, and eating. CNA’s work to assist residents as needed while helping to maintain their autonomy and dignity.

While the nursing team is the most visible and recognizable part of the nursing home staff, there is important work going on behind the scenes. The dietary staff, while not in direct resident contact much of the time, is also responsible for ensuring the health and happiness of the residents by planning healthy meals that are also enjoyable. Dietary staff are usually led by a formally trained and certified dietitian that plans meals, taking into consideration special dietary needs of the residents. For example, they need to plan meals for residents with diabetes.

Maintenance staff is commonly available 24 hours a day to ensure that any needed repairs are carried out in a timely manner to safeguard the quality of life of the residents. Clerical staff is also an important part of the team. They manage medical files and help to schedule doctor appointments, physical therapy sessions, and arrange transportation for the residents.

Whether a hands on care giver, or a member of the support staff; nursing home employees take pride in their ability to provide the highest quality of life for their residents.