Nursing Home Staff Requirements

While each nursing home is different, there are a few basic requirements that each home should follow. There are both federal and state rules that give some basic requirements for nursing homes and what type of staff should be available at the home. On this page, I will discuss the nursing staff requirements for the state of Connecticut. If you want to find a nursing home for your loved one, make sure that it meets the following nursing staff requirements.

State Laws

State law claims that all skilled nursing facilities and regular nursing facilities must have sufficient staff to give residents proper care 24 hours a week, every day of the week. The licensed staff members at each nursing facility should be as follows:

• One full time director of nursing, who is a registered nurse.
• If the nursing facility has more than 120 beds, it also needs an assistant Director of Nursing.
• One registered nurse on duty 24 hours a day every day of the week.
• One registered nurse or licensed practical nurse for each floor of the nursing home. This nurse should be available seven days a week, 24 hours per day.
• .47 licensed nurse hours per resident day. This must be available for the day and evening (7 a.m. to 9 p.m.).
• .17 licensed nurse hours per resident day. This must be available for the evening and night shift (9 p.m. to 7 a.m.).
• For 61-120 beds, a Director of Nursing is not needed.
• 1.40 nursing and nurse assistants hours per resident day for the 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. shift.
• .50 nursing and nurse assistants hours per resident day for the 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift.

Understaffed Homes

Unfortunately, many nursing homes are understaffed. To account for understaffed nursing homes, in the state of Connecticut, there is an estimated variance from these standards. These estimates are for facilities with 100 beds, and they are:

• Registered nurses: .30.
• Licensed nurses: .70.
• Nurse’s assistants: 1.90.
• Total: 2.60.

In addition to these requirements, many nursing homes ask more of their staff members. They might require that their staff members have certain experiences, hours of training, or additional certification. These additional qualifications certainly won’t hurt when it comes to making sure that your loved one will be taken care of. You should ask a nursing home about their staff and if they comply with state and federal laws for nursing home staff requirements. If a staffing issue results in the neglect or abuse of your loved one, you should contact an elderly neglect and abuse lawyer as soon as possible.