Kent State University’s Nursing Home Administration program (NHA) recently received recognition, becoming one of only eight accredited programs in the country and only the second in Ohio by the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB). At the annual NAB meeting this past June, the Board of Governors was unanimous in its decision to accredit Kent State’s program immediately.

“We worked on getting this accreditation for close to three years,” says Donna Alexander, internship coordinator for Kent State’s Nursing Home Administration program. “It’s really huge for the university because we are only the second program in Ohio to receive accreditation. The accreditation is important to the university because it takes the program to another level. Students will not have to go through the state program for licensure preparation; they can go through Kent State.”

Alexander says that with 10,000 people retiring each day, the job outlook for nursing home care is great. Also, according to the U.S. Census, 20 percent of the total population will be 65 or older by 2030.

“The current workers in the field are aging, as well as our population, and services for older adults are becoming very important,” says Alexander. “There are so many options in the field of long-term care today that Kent State students will have plenty of opportunities after graduation.”

The Nursing Home Administration curriculum is based on standards of excellence, established by the NAB, and strong partnerships with exceptional area nursing homes that focus on providing safe, individualized care.

“The nursing home curriculum prepares the students well for the national and state licensure examinations. The program also includes an 800-hour, two-semester internship requirement,” says Alexander. “The hands-on training and experiential learning that students receive is invaluable. The curriculum is interdisciplinary and develops well-rounded students.”

Student response to the program has been positive, says Mary Dellmann-Jenkins, Ph.D., director of the Nursing Home Administration program.

“We are getting more and more transfer students from other majors and universities now because they want to be enrolled in a program that has this ranking,” Dellmann-Jenkins says. “This accreditation provides documentation of what a great program we have.”

Alexander says the Nursing Home Administration program is currently at a 100-percent employment rate and she expects that trend to continue.

For more information about the Nursing Home Administration program, contact Dellmann-Jenkins at mdellman@kent.edu.