Nuts and bolts of NP practice in assisted living facilities.
OBJECTIVE
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.


METHODS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Holcomb
Lygia Owen
LO
University of Central Florida School of Nursing, Orlando, FL, USA. lholcomb@mail.ucf.edu
Wink
Diane M
DM
D000368:Aged; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D005161:Facility Regulation and Control; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration; D016852:Housing for the Elderly; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000458:organization & administration*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009817:Office Management / Q000458:organization & administration; D020399:Practice Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States; D000078329:Workforce