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What are the top 3 traits or skills every nursing home administrator must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your nursing home administrator expertise?

I'm not an administrator; however, I did learn this from a recent interview and I have to say. I will have to live by that advice.

In order to become a successful administrator one must posssess all what I am about to list.

1) Attention
2) Focus
3) Follow up
4) Sense of urgency
5) Communication
6) Integrity

Host said: What are the top 3 traits or skills every nursing home administrator must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your nursing home administrator expertise?

Although
1) The ability to recognize and develop leaders
2) The willingness to do whatever it takes and require that of others
3) Superb communication skills mixed with keen insight into human nature
4) Organizational skills (no, you can't remember everything, so don't try)
5) INTEGRITY, INTEGRITY, INTEGRITY

If I had one tip to give future Administrators, it would be this: your team will only follow you if they believe in you and your vision; a concept that they will evaluate daily. Only when you do the right thing over and over again (even when it's hard), will your team start to model your standards.

Liz in Nashville, Tennessee said: Although
1) The ability to recognize and develop leaders
2) The willingness to do whatever it takes and require that of others
3) Superb communication skills mixed with keen insight into human nature
4) Organizational skills (no, you can't remember everything, so don't try)
5) INTEGRITY, INTEGRITY, INTEGRITY

If I had one tip to give future Administrators, it would be this: your team will only follow you if they believe in you and your vision; a concept that they will evaluate daily. Only when you do the right thing over and over again (even when it's hard), will your team start to model your standards.

Liz,
Read your advice. These are the qualities I have decided to integrate into my work as an administrator (future).

I have almost 13 years of administrative/ executive experience in the management of long term care facilities. I am a LNHS and an AIT preceptor. I would like to begin by stating that you should be very particular about whom you choose to accept employment from. This is crucial. Are quality systems in place based on continuous quality initiatives models? Are the appropriate resources available to deliver quality of care and life to the residents? Are employees important to the corporation and most important are the residents? Without these elements you cannot be successful.

In my years of experience, I have found that if you put your residents and their well-being first in everything you do, you will be successful. If the residents are the foundation of every action, system, and targeted outcomes, you will be successful.

That is the single most important thing.

The second most important is that you must understand that happy employees make for happy residents.

The third most important quality you must possess is a strong financial acumen. I was trained by CPA level officers and this level of mentoring was invaluable.

Host said: What are the top 3 traits or skills every nursing home administrator must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your nursing home administrator expertise?

It is important to understand the following:
1. You are always married to the job. If there is a problem at 2 AM expect to be called. If a resident passes away expect to be at the funeral. If an employee quits any position that you are qualified to do, be prepared to do it yourself.

2. It is never about you- Whatever your problems, your joys, your life is about When you hit the door to the faciility it is about the residents- You are in their home. Their needs, moods, and families are the only thing you should be thinking about. I have seen too many administrators crabby, gossippy, lazy, uninformed. The person that knows the residents the best, is always going to be in the best person in the facility to assess the frailties and strengths of an organization.

3. Onterpaunurial attitude- People are depending on you for a living. This means that you have to treat the companies money like it is your own- cautiously and judiciously deciding what is worth paying. Solving problems and finding new ways to keep census at maximum capacity.

There are alot of good characteristics you need. I have worked under too many administrators to count but I believe that these 3 characteristics will carry you through, and seperate the great from the average.

*Entrepreneurial I hope spelling skills are not important. ;)

Phil in Chicago, Illinois said: It is important to understand the following:
1. You are always married to the job. If there is a problem at 2 AM expect to be called. If a resident passes away expect to be at the funeral. If an employee quits any position that you are qualified to do, be prepared to do it yourself.

2. It is never about you- Whatever your problems, your joys, your life is about When you hit the door to the faciility it is about the residents- You are in their home. Their needs, moods, and families are the only thing you should be thinking about. I have seen too many administrators crabby, gossippy, lazy, uninformed. The person that knows the residents the best, is always going to be in the best person in the facility to assess the frailties and strengths of an organization.

3. Onterpaunurial attitude- People are depending on you for a living. This means that you have to treat the companies money like it is your own- cautiously and judiciously deciding what is worth paying. Solving problems and finding new ways to keep census at maximum capacity.

There are alot of good characteristics you need. I have worked under too many administrators to count but I believe that these 3 characteristics will carry you through, and seperate the great from the average.

Hello Phil,
I felt your comments were absolutely outstanding. I especially loved the comment "you are in their home" when you enter that facility. I can't tell you how much I love my father and, how I agonized over trying to decided recently which facility I thought would be best for him. As his daughter, I drive the staff "nuts" with questions all the time. But I try to do it respectfully and I hope they understand that it is well intentioned. One has to genuinely love the elderly, I feel, to work at any capacity in a nursing home, assisted living home, etc. If they don't have those feelings deep in their heart, then they should not be employed their.

Thanks, Maxine

I believe all 6 qualities are needed to be an adminitrator especially in a LTC facility. I am about to graduate with a 3.85 GPA in the BSHA program at the University of Phoenix but have worked in LTC facilities for 10 years in several states and the facilities that rank best are those with administrators that show these traits. Communication is a must for no one can or is going to take the time to read ones mind. Attention, yes this is important also for no one wants to talk to a wall. Follow up is very important also for who wants to be micromanaged. A sense of urgency is also needed for everyone thinks they are the most important make them feel that way and they will reward you by working harder. Focus is also important for if one cannot stay focused the meeting tend to go long and this lowers productivity. Integrity is also important who wants to follow one that does not tell the truth. If I had to choose three of these six all important charactoristics of a LTC administrator they would be 1. communication 2. Follow up 3. Intergrity

I need a preceptor here in Indianapolis In
If anyone knows where I could find one please e-mail me at becox2000@sbcglobal.net I try to practice all six of these qualities everyday as a CNA/QMA.

A. Ryan said: I have almost 13 years of administrative/ executive experience in the management of long term care facilities. I am a LNHS and an AIT preceptor. I would like to begin by stating that you should be very particular about whom you choose to accept employment from. This is crucial. Are quality systems in place based on continuous quality initiatives models? Are the appropriate resources available to deliver quality of care and life to the residents? Are employees important to the corporation and most important are the residents? Without these elements you cannot be successful.

In my years of experience, I have found that if you put your residents and their well-being first in everything you do, you will be successful. If the residents are the foundation of every action, system, and targeted outcomes, you will be successful.

That is the single most important thing.

The second most important is that you must understand that happy employees make for happy residents.

The third most important quality you must possess is a strong financial acumen. I was trained by CPA level officers and this level of mentoring was invaluable.

I am graduating soon with a BSHA and am looking for an AIT Preceptor is there somewhere one can find a list? I am in Indianapolis IN and want to improve the residents way of life through hard work and much thought.

Just to recap:
1. Commitment
2. Selflessness
3. Solid Business Skills

Phil in Chicago, Illinois said: Just to recap:
1. Commitment
2. Selflessness
3. Solid Business Skills

Phil-

well put, it is hard to sum up your previous post (you nailed it) into three words because man is this a heck of a life. I am a successful adminstrator with four years of experience, I can not agree more. These traits are lessons that needs to be learned quick in a sink or swim environment. I say successful for because my facility has recieved 6 consecutive deficiency free surveys, three with me as the ED. Yet, I still have so much to learn, and we as a team still have room for improvement.

Will