Improving Care Through Increased Staffing

Nursing home staffing has a significant impact on the quality of care that residents receive. Feedback from both nursing home staff and residents consistently highlights staffing as their primary concern. In response, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is launching a national Nursing Home Staffing Campaign aimed at increasing the number of nurses working in nursing homes and at the state agencies that inspect nursing homes for compliance with health and safety standards, ultimately better improving and protecting residents’ health and safety.

Overview

To foster meaningful increases in nursing home staff, CMS will provide:

• Financial Incentives for Registered Nurses (RNs), like tuition reimbursement to encourage RNs to work in nursing homes and state agencies.
• Promoting Training Opportunities by streamlining the process for individuals to become a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA), which can include paid, on-the-job training, making it easier for them to enter the nursing home workforce.

This effort will focus on promoting the value of nursing careers both to society and to students considering this path. It will include descriptions of and education on the diverse opportunities available to students who want to focus on nursing home care and will emphasize the rewarding nature of the work. Some of the opportunities available are listed at the bottom of this page.

Nurse Recruitment Webpage

CMS will launch a webpage for prospective nurses. Initially, it will highlight and link to state websites that provide listings of local CNA training programs. When the RN financial incentives are available, the site will provide links to apply for that assistance.

Collaboration with States

CMS will partner with state governments to leverage the foundation CMS is building to bolster the campaign in their state. For example, states can:

• Provide additional financial incentives to RNs to work in nursing homes in their state. 
• Improve their websites for nurse aide training to make it easier for individuals to find and enroll in training programs. 
• Amplify this campaign to ensure the messages about the value of working in nursing homes reaches as many potential nurses as possible.

Partnerships

CMS will also collaborate with various interested parties, such as resident advocates, nursing organizations, and nursing home associations to strengthen the campaign by amplifying recruitment messages and promoting incentives to work in nursing homes. These efforts build on existing initiatives aimed at enhancing nursing home safety and quality, including new requirements for increased staffing levels and financial transparency for nursing homes.

Our Commitment

Our goal is to improve the quality of life for nursing home residents while enhancing the quality of work for nursing home staff. We believe that a well-supported nursing workforce leads to better care for all. Together, we can ensure that nursing home residents receive the care they deserve while creating rewarding opportunities for nursing professionals.

Stay Up to Date

CMS will implement the Nursing Home Staffing Campaign in phases. We encourage you to check this page for periodic updates on our progress. 

For questions, email us at NHSC@cms.hhs.gov.

If you’re interested in learning more about working in a nursing home, visit: www.cms.gov/priorities/key-initiatives/nursing-home-careers.

Nursing Home Career Opportunities

Direct Care Roles

• Certified Nurse Aide (CNA): Help residents with daily activities, monitor vital signs, help with comfort and hygiene.
• Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse (LPN or LVN): Provide general care, give medications, monitor health status, develop care plans, and supervise CNAs.
• Registered Nurse (RN): Develop care plans, give treatments and medications, perform diagnostic tests, work with physicians and other providers to coordinate care, and supervise LPNs/LVNs and CNAs. 
• Nurse Practitioner (NP): Provide advanced care, diagnose conditions, prescribe and give medications, develop treatment plans.

Specialized Positions

• Infection Preventionist: Prevent the spread of infections throughout the nursing home. 
• Wound Care Specialist: Manage and treats a variety of wounds. 
• Compliance Officer: Ensure that the nursing home complies with all applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures. 
• Resident Assessment Coordinator: Assess resident needs and coordinate personalized, resident-driven care based on those assessments. 
  State Nursing Home Inspector: Assess nursing homes’ compliance with health and safety standards to ensure residents are protected.

Leadership Positions

• Director of Nursing: Oversee nursing staff and operations, develop policies to ensure the nursing home is compliant with health and safety standards and residents’ health care needs are being met. 
• Chief Nursing Officer: Oversee the delivery of care for multiple nursing homes within a corporation or health care system.
• Supervisor or Director of State Inspection Agency: Oversee nursing home inspectors and ensures the state inspection agency implements applicable laws and regulations effectively. 
• State or Federal Government Policy Advisor: Develop public policies for nursing homes to help shape the future of nursing home quality and safety.