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Long Term Care Nursing

By Heather Hutchins, NursingSchools.com Contributing Writer

Long term care nurses often work with patients who need help with activities of daily living such as dressing, bathing and going to the bathroom. In many cases, the patient population for long term care is the elderly.

However, people at any age may need long term care based on their overall health, chronic illnesses or disabilities.For this reason, long term care nurses can work in a variety of settings including hospitals, extended care facilities, adult day care, retirement communities, assisted living facilities, nursing homes and home health care agencies.

Benefits

According to CNN Money , the salary range for long term care nurses is $51,921 to $64,355. In addition to salary, long term care nurses receive paid vacation, professional liability insurance, paid sick time, medical, life and dental insurance. Depending on the geographic location and the therapeutic setting, nurses can also be offered complete relocation packages including help with moving and travel.

Education

Depending on the facility, long term care nursing positions may require a diploma, an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN). Some institutions require the registered nurse designation. Nurses may want to take additional courses in gerontology or specialize in geriatric nursing in order to work with elderly patients.

Job Prospects

The job prospects for long term care nurses are very good. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 9 million older Americans will need long term care this year, and the number will increase to 12 million by the year 2020.