Qualifications
To qualify for licensure as a nursing home administrator in New York State, you must:
- be at least 21 years of age;
- be of good moral character and suitability;
- hold a Bachelor's (or higher level) Degree from an accredited educational institution, including (or supplemented by) 15 credit hours of specific education;
- complete an Administrator-In-Training (AIT) Program (Internship) OR qualifying field experience;
- complete a course in nursing home administration;
- receive a passing score on the Nursing Home Administrator Licensing Examination.
Qualification 1 (Age)
To satisfy Qualification 1, you must be at least 21 years of age. You will be required to submit one of the following to establish your age: driver license, ID card for non-drivers, passport, birth certificate (other acceptable forms of identification will be considered on a case-by-case basis).
Qualification 2 (Character and Suitability)
To satisfy Qualification 2, the Board of Examiners of Nursing Home Administrators must determine that there is nothing in your background that may affect your ability to carry out the responsibilities of a nursing home administrator in a professional, competent and ethical manner. Your character and suitability will be assessed based on a review of your responses (and related documentation) to the questions contained in the "Character and Suitability" section of the Nursing Home Administrator Licensure Application (PDF). Any other information that may become available to the Board will also be considered.
Qualification 3 (Education)
To satisfy Qualification 3, you must document that you hold a Bachelor's (or higher level) Degree from an accredited educational institution. Your degree must have included (or be supplemented by) successful completion of 15 credit hours of course work at an accredited educational institution in the following five areas:
- Nursing Home Administration *
- Health Care Financial Management *
- Legal Issues in Health Care *
- Gerontology
- Personnel Management
An accredited educational institution is one that is listed in the U.S. Department of Education's Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs as having its degree program accredited by a regional or nationally recognized accrediting agency.
Each course must be at least three credit hours. Courses will be considered for 10 years from the date of successful completion, with the exception of Nursing Home Administration, which will be considered for five years from the date of successful completion. Subject areas identified with an asterisk (*) must be at the 300 level (or equivalent) or higher.
Protocols for the course work required in Qualification 3 can be viewed by clicking on each course work area. A listing of accredited educational institutions that offer course work to satisfy Qualification 3 can be viewed at Accredited Educational Institutions (PDF)
The following may be substituted to satisfy the 15 credit hour education requirement:
- Two or more years of service as the full-time Administrator-of-Record of an out-of-state nursing home within the last five years. An Administrator-of-Record is a licensed and currently registered nursing home administrator who is charged with the general administration of a nursing home.
Qualification 4 (Field Experience)
To satisfy Qualification 4, you must document successful completion of a 12-month Administrator-In-Training Program (Internship) OR two years of qualifying field experience.
Note: You must complete either an internship or qualifying field experience, but not both.
Administrator-In-Training Program (Internship) -- 12-month, full-time internship completed in a qualifying nursing home under the supervision of a qualified preceptor within the last 10 years. Part-time internships may be considered. All internship hours must be completed within two years. A detailed listing of requirements can be found at Instructions for Addendum A - AIT program (PDF).
Participation in an internship requires the advance written approval of the Board. To be approved, the internship must be structured in accordance with the Administrator-In-Training Program (Internship) Guidelines. Internships started prior to receiving the Board's written approval will not be accepted.
Prior to requesting approval to participate in an internship, you must have an active application on file with the Board and satisfied Qualifications 1 and 2, as well as the Nursing Home Administration, Health Care Financial Management and Legal Issues in Health Care course work required as part of Qualification 3.
Field Experience -- Two years of full-time service on the staff of a qualifying nursing home in an administrative position above the department-head level, but not above the Administrator-of-Record, requiring active participation in the administration, direction and operation of the facility, within the last five years. The position must have included daily participation in management decisions that affect two or more major departments or service areas within the facility and directly impact the provision of care and services to the residents/patients in the facility (e.g., Food Services, Nursing, Rehabilitation [including all of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Recreation and Speech/Audio] and Social Services). The position must be compensated at a salary commensurate with the level of responsibility. A detailed listing of requirements can be found at Instructions for Addendum B - QFE (PDF).
The internship and field experience requirements may be substituted or reduced based on your experience and/or education, as follows:
| Experience | Internship Credit | Field Experience Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Three or more years of full-time service as a Director of Nursing Services at a qualifying nursing home within the last ten years. | 6 months | 12 months |
| Two or more years of service as the full-time Administrator-of-Record of an out-of-state nursing home within the last five years. | Full Satisfaction | Full Satisfaction |
| Education | Internship Credit | Field Experience Credit |
| An internship at a qualifying nursing home completed as part of an accredited educational institution degree requirement. You must have graduated from the respective degree program and document that the internship was equivalent in length and content to the internship requirement in New York State and was successfully completed. | Full Satisfaction | N/A |
| An internship at a qualifying nursing home completed as part of the nursing home administrator licensure requirements of another state licensure board. You must have been granted a nursing home administrator license in that state and document that the internship was equivalent in length and content to the internship requirement in New York State and was successfully completed. | Full Satisfaction | N/A |
| OR | ||
| Master's Degree and completion of the five courses required to satisfy Qualification 3. | 6 months | 12 months |
Note: Only one substitution or reduction may be claimed. You should carefully consider which is in your best interest.
Full-time is defined as a minimum of 35 hours per week onsite.
A qualifying nursing home is defined in Article 28 of the New York State Public Health Law and regulations promulgated thereunder, or comparable facility recognized under similar statutes of other states or jurisdictions.
Qualification 5 (Course of Study)
To satisfy Qualification 5, you must document successful completion of three credit hours of education at an accredited educational institution in the area of Nursing Home Administration (previously documented in Qualification 3).
The course must be at the 300 level (or equivalent) or higher. The course will be considered for five years from the date of successful completion.
If you substituted two or more years of service as the full-time Administrator-of-Record of an out-of-state nursing home within the last five years to satisfy Qualification 3, the substitution also applies to Qualification 5.
The following may also be substituted to satisfy the three credit hour course of study requirement:
- a current Nursing Home Administrator certification issued by the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA).
Consideration will be given to out-of-state certificate programs to satisfy Qualification 5 only for Administrators-of-Record in out-of-state nursing facilities.
A listing of accredited educational institutions that offer course work to satisfy Qualification 5 can be viewed at Accredited Educational Institutions (PDF).
Qualification 6 (Examination)
You must receive a passing score on the Nursing Home Administrator Licensing Examination. To be eligible to sit for the examination, you must satisfy Qualifications 1-5.
If you hold a nursing home administrator license issued by another state, the examination requirement in New York State may be waived. In order to be granted a waiver, the issuing state must verify that you took and passed the Nursing Home Administrator Licensing Examination developed by the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (Professional Examination Service examination prior to October 1982). The verification must be in the form of a letter on official letterhead (affixed with a state seal), including the following: your name, license number, date license issued, examination taken, examination date, examination score (raw score and scale score), registration status, expiration date and disciplinary action (if any).
