Assisted Living Facilities as Viable Nursing Student Clinical Placements

Nursing programs face challenges finding clinical sites for education due to increased enrollment. Expanding beyond traditional acute care placements is essential to providing learning experiences aimed at meeting AACN Essentials competencies. In response to increased enrollment, one rural baccalaureate nursing program used assisted living facilities as clinical sites for a Foundations course.

Clinical faculty collaborated with five assisted living facilities to establish placements, defining expectations and ensuring appropriate student-to-faculty ratios. Students completed a combination of hospital-based and assisted living facility clinical hours. At the end of the rotation, students and faculty completed written evaluations assessing skill development and learning experiences.

Students reported increased confidence in communication and assessment skills, appreciation for holistic care, and positive engagement with residents. Faculty observed growth in student competence and strong collaboration with facility staff.

Assisted living facilities provide viable, effective clinical placements in nontraditional settings with positive experiences reported by students and faculty.