Long-Term Care and Nursing Home Administration
NAB Accredited- HSE Status Eligible-ONLINE
The Bachelor of Science degree in Health Management at University of Minnesota Crookston (UMN Crookston) meets the requirements and is approved by both the Board of Examiners for Long Term Services and Supports (BELTSS) in Minnesota and the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Board (NAB), the nation’s leading authority on licensing, credentialing, and regulating administrators of organizations along the continuum of long term care.
With this NAB accreditation, UMN Crookston meets the standards that allow students to be eligible for the Healthcare Service Executive (HSE) status. Upon completion of this degree, graduates are qualified to take the state and national examinations for licensure as a Nursing Home Administrator in Minnesota and other states.
If students have completed a bachelor’s or graduate degree and would like to pursue licensure as a Nursing Home Administrator in Minnesota, UMN Crookston does offer all of the classes required for licensure online. In this case, students enroll as a non-degree student.
For more information, please contact Program Director, Macey Buker.
Program Overview
The program is an established online program educating students to be the next generation of leaders in an evolving career of long term care professions. Aligning the program with the standards of excellence established by the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB), Washington, D.C., and providing faculty who teach courses in the specialty area in which they work, brings the UMN Crookston Health Management’s Long Term Care Supports and Services track to a unique level for licensure preparation.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the job market for graduates of healthcare management programs is very strong due to the rapidly increasing aging population. The number of older adults living in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, retirement communities, and those individuals requiring community services, is predicted to double within the next ten years. The program prepares students as executives of older adult services, educated in the regulatory and operational standards for home care, hospice, assisted living, and other community support settings.
Upon completion of the program, graduates will be eligible to apply for the national exam offered through the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB) and their state examination criteria. In Minnesota, the examination board is the Minnesota Board of Examiners for Long Term Services and Supports (BELTSS). The National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Board website provides a NAB handbook on how to prepare for the examination, which follows the state exam.
The program’s comprehensive curriculum, committed student participation, and experiential learning through a practicum conducted in partnership with experienced licensed administrators provide the students with positive test results. The practicum is available to satisfy relevant state licensing board internship or administrator-in-training (AIT) requirements.
Benefits of the Long-Term Care Supports and Service Administrator Program:
- Earn a prestigious University of Minnesota degree online from the University of Minnesota Crookston (UMN Crookston). Provides personal attention and exceptional faculty and staff... all delivered online.
- Study in the comfort of home. There are no scheduled meetings or classes. Do coursework as time allows while following the deadlines to stay on track.
- Learn from faculty currently working in the field. Most faculty have special skills related to the course they are teaching. They bring expertise and experience to the learning environment to prepare future executive leaders.
- Gain knowledge of the fundamentals of person-centered care, including:
- Regulations designed to ensure safety,
- Operations management to provide responsible servant leadership,
- Healthcare law and ethical standards to provide advocacy and mitigate risk,
- Leadership principles for employee engagement and quality care,
- Skillsets to address dispute resolution, and
- Strategic management to provide leadership for the increased demographic shift and consumer-centric choices.
- Participate in a transfer-friendly credit program. UMC offers free evaluations of previous college credits. UMC Admissions Office assesses previous course work to determine transferability into the program before applying, if desired. UMC accepts transfer credits delivered by regionally accredited colleges or universities. Contact the Admission’s Office for details.
Curriculum
Licensure
The UMN Crookston practicum (internship) hours must be completed before taking the state or national exam. Taking the online required courses during the practicum timeframe is a common practice.
Minnesota, with all 50 states and DC, requires its licensees to successfully complete the examination developed by the National Association of Boards of Examiners for Long Term Care Administrators - the NAB exam.
An active application for licensure needs to be on file with the state licensing board to be eligible to take the NAB exam. In most situations, a state-specific exam is administered prior to taking the NAB exam. Each state’s nursing home licensing board website contains the recommendation for requirements and exams. The Program Director can assist in obtaining this information. For more information on the application process, visit the Minnesota’s Board of Examiners for Long Term Services and Supports (BELTSS) site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about long term care administration
What does a long term care administrator do?
Long term care administrators may take on various titles, such as licensed nursing home administrators (LNHAs), assisted living administrators, directors of nursing in long term care or directors of other long term care services.
Administrators may be responsible for financial management, budgeting, and quality standards across a department or organization, ensuring regulatory compliance, oversight of departments responsible for hiring and training personnel, collaborating with social workers, health care facilities management, stakeholder engagement, etc.
What are the long term care licensure requirements for each state?
Each state has its own requirements for obtaining a license for Nursing Home Administrator (NHA), Retirement Center/Assisted Living (RCAL), or Home and Community-Based (HCBS) services, and Administrator-in-Training (AIT) practicum (internship). To find the regulations for each state, take a look at this site State-By-State Requirements. Use the drop down box near the bottom of this site to access the state for desired licensure. The UMC Program Director will assist students in determining the specific regulation for the desired state of licensure. For additional assistance, please see the contact the Program Director, Macey Buker, or the Admissions Office for Online Students
How do I apply for the program when I am from a state other than Minnesota?
Questions? Contact the Office of Admissions.
I already have a Bachelor or graduate degree. How do I transfer my college credits and found out what I need to do become licensed in my state?
Questions? Contact the Office of Admissions.
What additional courses are required in Minnesota beyond a bachelor’s or graduate degree?
Students who have a bachelor’s or master’s degree may enroll to complete all or some of the courses to meet licensure requirements. Online learning is available to meet Minnesota Board of Examiners for Long Term Services and Supports (BELTSS) requirements for organizational management, managerial accounting, gerontology, health care and medical needs, nursing facility services, human resources, regulatory management, and performance improvement in healthcare and practicum.
| Category | UMN Crookston Course |
|---|---|
| 1. Organizational Management | HSM 3200 |
| 2. Managerial Accounting | HSM 3270 |
| 3. Gerontology | SOC 3937 |
| 4. Health Care & Medical Needs | HSM 3030 |
| 5. LTC Supports & Services | HSM 3230 |
| 6. Human Resources | MGMT 3220 |
| 7. Regulatory Management | HSM 4212 |
| 8. Quality Measurement | HSM 3250 |
| 9. Practicum | HSM 3910 |
If a student wants to also be eligible for the Health Service Executive status (HSE), as well as the LNHA licensure now or in the future, all courses will have to be taken even if completed in a prior degree, and 1,000-hours of internship will need to be completed, according to the MN BELTSS regulations. The practicum will be delivered registering for 3 credits of HSM 3910, then 2 credits the following semester. The UMN Crookston Program Director advises students with course selection, when needed.
What if I want to obtain my courses and practicum from a NAB-accredited University in Minnesota, but do not want the HSE status?
Professionals with experience who are not interested in the HSE status can opt to petition to have courses and practicum hours waived. They may still qualify as a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator (LNHA) upon successful completion of the state and NAB exam. Course or practicum hour reduction can only be approved by MN BELTSS, by state statute. The forms to begin the process can be found at Applicants with Experience, Waiving eligibility for HSE.
How long does it take to complete a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Management including the courses of the Long-Term Care Supports and Services Administration (Nursing Home Administrator) program?
A student entering the program with no previously earned credits and registered in the program on a full-time basis and maintaining the cumulative GPA required by each state, is commonly completed within four years.
Many students enrolled in the program are working full-time and choose to spread out their courses to accommodate their work schedules.
Prepare to make a meaningful difference through health care administration
At UMN Crookston, we appreciate and value the positive impact health care professionals have on individuals and communities across the country and the world. We offer educational programs to help grow careers with an emphasis on compassion and ethics in the field. To learn more about UMC’s major, minor and certificate programs or to become a campus student, additional information can be discovered here - Future Students.