Baccalaureate education and American nursing homes: a survey of nursing schools

Approximately one-third of the people in the United States will pass through a long-term care facility before they die. However, the learning opportunities in this unique setting for baccalaureate nursing education remain unclear. This regional survey examined the use of nursing homes within baccalaureate nursing programs in nine southeastern states of the United States of America. A descriptive exploratory method and mailed questionnaires were used for data collection. Fifty-three nursing schools were included in the study. According to the survey, 83% of the nursing schools have used nursing homes as clinical sites to teach fundamental psychomotor skills, communication skills and physical assessment. Identified advantages of using nursing homes in baccalaureate education include: learning basic nursing skills, working with willing and helpful nursing home residents and staff, and developing positive attitude toward aging. On the other hand, the major problem encountered was lack of appropriate role models in nursing home staff. As the world population continues to age rapidly, nurse educators need to consider the advantages of clinical experiences for students in long-term care facilities.