January 15, 2024

How Senior Living Can Offer a Full Career Path for Nurses

About Brookdale Senior Living

Brookdale Senior Living offers multiple care levels for seniors in more than 600 communities nationwide. Brookdale helps you find the right care plan for yourself or your loved one. With amenities such as transportation services, salons and private dining rooms and activities such as gardening, fitness classes and trivia nights Brookdale caters to a wide range of interests and needs.

The nursing shortage has become a national challenge in this country. Nearly 100,000 registered nurses left their jobs over the past two years. The lack of a career track or plan at their organization is often cited as a contributing factor.

In a study conducted by nurse staffing platform Incredible Health, nearly 25 percent of nursessaid limited career advancement opportunities would contribute to their leaving the nursing field before retirement. In another qualitative study of 23 registered nurses, interviewees said the fact that their employers supported their career development very little was a major challenge in their career advancement. The inverse is also true: Employees are more likely to stay at workplaces where they can envision a future, find value, and connect with role models who invest in their careers, reports McKnight’s Long-Term Care News.

Nurses who are looking for career advancement may want to consider a future in long-term care. At Brookdale, we celebrate the field of nursing and value the lasting impact that our nurses have on our residents. We invest in nurses and support career advancements by offering them the chance to grow in their careers through education, mentorships, and training opportunities.

From bedside nurse to case manager to executive director, there are many career paths that nurses at Brookdale can take. For Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) who are interested in becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), we offer educational assistance by advancing tuition expenses related to obtaining an LPN diploma and licensure. Our Clinical Center of Excellence also provides leadership, support, education, and guidance for our nursing staff at the district, division, and corporate levels.

Here are just some of the careers that nurses can pursue within our organization:

· Charge Nurse oversees day-to-day care for residents, communicates with doctors, facilitates adherence to care plans, and manages care staff in our communities.

· Health and Wellness Director runs the clinical department, develops the care plans for the residents, is responsible for their care, and is responsible for managing the care staff in our communities.

· Area Case Manager supports several different communities in an area and provides clinical expertise, oversight, and support.

· District Nurse oversees an average of 11 communities and their clinical programs and manages, coaches, and trains Health and Wellness Directors.

· Corporate Team Nurse is an executive-level nurse who helps develop clinical policies, procedures, and programs and supports the field teams; also develops quality improvement initiatives and clinical operations.

· Divisional Nurse provides leadership and oversight for hundreds of communities’ clinical departments.

Brookdale aims to reward and retain nurses at all levels, so we offer a variety of benefits and programs to help our associates in many aspects of their lives — including financial, social, well-being, and health. Whether it’s competitive pay and benefits, student loan and tuition reimbursement, an employee stock purchase program, or flexible schedules, we aim to help make our nurses feel valued and appreciated. We may also offer relocation opportunities. With 640 locations in 43 states, Brookdale can offer the flexibility to live and work in different communities across the country.

Working in a long-term care environment can also bring a sense of joy and fulfillment while helping residents engage with their peers and build community. In addition to getting to know residents and families on a personal level, nurses who work in assisted living help create positive and lasting memories, and help celebrate life events and milestones. Such a communal environment brings a special sense of belonging and purpose. A senior living environment can provide nurses with the opportunity to support seniors as they grieve personal losses and to glean insight from residents’ experience and wisdom.

If you’re a nurse or know one who’s interested in advancing your career along with making a positive impact in seniors’ lives, visit our careers page.

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