Nursing home jobs are an integral part of the medical industry and offer a rewarding career path. Working in the nursing home industry can be an incredibly rewarding job that provides unique opportunities to serve the elderly and persons with physical, mental, or intellectual disabilities.
If you have ever searched for the phrase, care needed for my father, then it’s vitally important to do your research when looking for nursing home jobs to make sure you find the right one that offers you the best environment, quality care for your patients, and support system.
The first step when considering a career as a CNA – Certified Nursing Assistant, is to join a free platform that gives you access to listings near you so you can browse available positions. You’ll want to explore different types of employment opportunities including working directly with patients, assisting with their daily needs, or providing administrative roles like billing and insurance coordination.
Don’t forget to look into training programs, licensing requirements, and benefits packages. As you narrow down your search for the best position for your qualifications and ambitions, it’s wise to have interviews with potential skilled nursing facilities and ask questions about their policies. Hence, there are no surprises when it comes time to dive into your new role.
The White House has announced an ambitious plan to enhance the standards of quality for nursing homes.
For some time, there has been little accountability in the nursing home workforce. This was highlighted when over 200,000 people died from COVID-19 in nursing homes. Therefore, President Biden launched an action plan to improve these conditions in his State of the Union.
New actions were today announced by the Biden-Harris Administration to improve quality and safety standards, as well as investments for transitioning nursing care residents out of facilities. Furthermore, CMS announced new actions to accommodate special focus facilities with additional inspections and higher accountability expectations.
The SFF Program has announced reforms for the first time today.
CMS is instituting more stringent penalties for nursing homes that fail to improve, which may involve termination from Medicare and/or Medicaid funding for facilities receiving two citations of dangerous violations in two successive inspections.
CMS has updated the safety standards for graduation from the SFF Program. Facilities must adhere to these standards, and CMS will closely monitor them for at minimum 3 years post-graduation.
CMS is engaging with select underperforming nursing homes to provide greater technical assistance and guidance in understanding how to increase quality improvement and long-term care. Additionally, CMS Quality Improvement Organizations are available to support these efforts.
The HHS and DOL have announced funding to create quality nursing jobs, particularly in the nursing home sector. These registered nurse RN jobs are intended to provide good pay and union benefits, providing “double dignity” to both patients and caretakers.
The Department of Labor (DOL) is offering the Nursing Expansion Grant program with $80 million in grant funding available. Nonprofit healthcare organizations, industry organizations or trade groups, labor unions, labor-management organizations, education and teaching providers, workforce development entities, and Native American Tribal Governments all qualify to participate.
These grants are meant to reduce bottlenecks in nursing workforce development and create a larger, more diverse pipeline to improve the quality of nursing home care; funds will primarily be used to hire additional clinical/vocational instructors and educators as well as train frontline healthcare professionals and paraprofessionals for higher credentials such as Licensed Practical Nurses or Registered Nurses.
Special attention will be paid to historically marginalized/underrepresented populations to help reduce health inequalities in underprivileged communities. Applications must be submitted by January 6th.
The Health Resources and Services Administration has allocated $13 million in grants to increase nursing education and training. These funds will support the development of nursing preceptors, and licensed clinicians who provide supervision for nursing students during their clinical rotations.
Having more preceptors will allow nursing schools to admit more students and provide better training opportunities leading to successful career paths and increased nurse staffing.
The HHS and DOL are making available a significant amount of funding to support the nursing workforce. This includes funds to be used for activities related to attracting and retaining health professionals such as nursing aides, home health aides, and registered nurses.
Eligible entities are encouraged to combine these programs for greater impact thus making it a great place to work.
The Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA’s) YouthBuild of the Department of Labor will provide up to $90 million in grant funding for eligible nonprofit organizations or consortia to offer job training and educational opportunities for at-risk youth by the end of this year.
Over one-third of recent grantees have offered healthcare-specific programs.
The ETA’s National Displaced Worker for Nursing Home Jobs
This grant program makes funds available to state governments, outlying areas, and Native American programs to create training in entry-level healthcare occupations such as Certified Nursing Assistant, Medical Assisting, and Physical Therapy.
These grants support job training after major trade disruptions due to plant closures or mass layoffs and provide aid for members of the military and their spouses. In total, roughly three-quarters of grantees are working towards careers in healthcare.
Between January and June 2023, a total of $35 million in grants is available to governmental entities, educational institutions, and certain organizations through ETA’s WORC Initiative Grants program. These funds are aimed at creating local and regional job opportunities for people affected by displacement or working in high-demand occupations such as behavioral health, dental health, and health IT.
The grants will help communities develop workforce development solutions that align with their economic development strategies and community partnerships.
Continuing the progress to reform nursing homes, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken a range of steps to bring about improvements in quality, accountability, and specialties, since announcing its Nursing Home Reform Action Plan during the State of the Union Address.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has initiated a public-input process and research study that will inform the development of a minimum-staffing rule, with an anticipated release date in Spring 2023. This is designed to address the severe staffing shortages that the country is experiencing since the pandemic.
Taking action against unlawful debt collection.
CMS is collaborating with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to prohibit nursing homes from demanding payment for a relative’s nursing home debt in violation of the law.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has increased transparency and accountability by releasing data regarding ownership of Medicare-certified nursing homes. They have also provided public access to the data on mergers, acquisitions, consolidations, and changes of ownership for nursing homes and hospitals enrolled in Medicare for the first time.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule to update payments and rates for the fiscal year 2023, providing an almost one billion dollar increase. This ruling, along with an accompanying statement, encourages states to make use of their Medicaid authorities to promote better health outcomes and improved staff pay for nursing home residents.
CMS has developed the Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Rating System incorporating information on nursing homes’ weekend staffing rates for nurses, and figures concerning annual turnover among nurses and administrators. These updated Star Ratings promote transparency to help families make informed decisions regarding the care needed by their relatives.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued a proposed rule that would require nursing home owners to provide fingerprints for federal background checks to receive Medicare funds. This measure is expected to reduce potential abuse and fraud.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have revised their guidance for nursing home inspectors, requiring the presence of an infection control specialist rather than only off-site consultants to support pandemic preparedness.
