It is critical that NHAs are first qualified nurses, as their ability to relate to other nurses is essential to the organizational success of the nursing home ("Nursing home administrator jobs," 2011). Career paths for an NHA are rooted with education background and nursing experience. Although experience is necessary for being a successful NHA, a career path at minimum requires clinical licensing (Decker, & Castle, 2009). The NHA is the management body over the facility, and their positions are in high demand. In the U.S. In 2008, approximately 17,000 nursing home administrators were responsible for the oversight of care for 1 million elderly adults and 1.3 million employees (Leister, 2009). Overseeing a large nursing staff, as well as vulnerable residents, are the daily demands of the NHA. The future of NHA field is concerning to researchers and professionals, as the number of licensed NHAs is on the decline. In Maryland, the number of licensed NHAs in 2002 was 601, and reached a low of 523 by 2005 (Leister, 2009). The state of Maryland needs approximately 40 to 50 new NHA graduates a year in order to simultaneously replace the retiring NHAs (Leister, 2009). Other studies consider the stress accompanied with the NHA field, and have identified a long list of stressors as contributors to the decline in newly issued NHA licenses. The greatest stress factors identified by the study involved the management of patient-family relations, for example, handling "unrealistic expectations of family members concerning care," and employee relations as main causes of job stress (Leister, 2009). The aging population within the U.S. is climbing, and so is the demand for nursing home facilities and NHAs. As the demand grows, the future of the field can experience not only salary increases, but greater stress to oversee more patients and a lowered patient to nurse ratio.

Nursing home administrators plays a central role in the...

The job of an NHA concerns the management and high-level maintenance of these institutions that are designed to provide care to members of the elderly population. Job duties include the oversight of residents, resident care, nursing staff and other employees, budget management, strategic planning, and overall organizational viability. Job requirements for NHAs involve clinical licensing, and degrees in healthcare administration, healthcare management, financial management, and business administration are preferred. There are growing professional concerns that the number of administrators in the industry is on the decline, as projected by recent decreases in newly issued NHA licenses. Job stress associated with the NHA position highlights a potential cause for the decline. Implications for the future are significant as the demand for nursing homes continues to increase, adjustments within the field will be required to sustain nursing home services that are currently crucial to developed industrialized societies.