Internship Partners for Long-Term Care Administrators – A Model Sustainable Through COVID-19 Is a Model for the Future

Most long-term care administration programs require an internship as a graduation requirement. The University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire’s Health Care Administration interns are highly valued by partner sites, hosting students annually. In the 2019-2020 academic year, 59 students were nine months into their internship experience when COVID-19 disruptions became widespread. This paper describes the program’s immediate and multifaceted response, which led to exceptional outcomes. Lessons learned suggest that through effective planning and exceptional reaction in the face of adversity, strong academic programs and partnerships play a key role in alleviating long-term care workforce challenges by producing extraordinarily prepared future leaders

Informing Recruitment and Pedagogy of Undergraduate Long-Term Care Administration Students

Given the shortage of long-term care administrators and the aging population of our country, efforts to enhance the pool of appropriate and well-prepared candidates in long-term care leadership professions are now vital. Undergraduate institutions that train long-term care leaders through adequate training should focus on student recruitment and a refinement of pedagogical practices. This study utilized ex post facto data to assess characteristics of potential long-term care leaders in conjunction with success measures. Additionally, long-term care leaders were surveyed for exploratory research on methods to increase student recruitment and professional preparedness for their positions. The study validated a previous instrument developed to assess fit and draw interest to the field, confirming ten characteristics as important to long-term care leadership and professional preparedness: organization, critical thinking, people skills, attitude, confidence, communication, visionary leadership, sense of caring, and change agent. Findings from the study allowed for recommendations to be developed for undergraduate long-term care administration programs, including a heightened focus on student recruitment at the secondary level, inclusion of networking within curriculum, and strongly suggesting related work experience to prospective students