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Nuts and bolts of NP practice in assisted living facilities
Lygia Owen Holcomb1, Diane M Wink
1University of Central Florida School of Nursing, Orlando, FL, USA. lholcomb@mail.ucf.edu
Purpose:
To describe the practical issues associated with setting up a nurse practitioner (NP) practice in an assisted living facility (ALF), including record keeping, maintaining communication, and scheduling and coordination issues.
Data Sources:
Selected scientific literature, legal and regulatory guidelines, and the authors' experiences.
Conclusions:
Initiating a NP practice in an ALF can be a rewarding experience, but it will not be without its own unique challenges. Procedures that maintain excellent communication between the NP, the home practice site, the resident and family, the ALF facility, and other services required by the needs of the resident take time and effort to establish but are worth the extra effort.
Implications For Practice:
Nurse practitioners who establish a practice in an ALF need to be familiar with state regulations, facility procedures and culture, and the needs of elders who are aging in place and integrate all that into their office practice sites in order to be successful.