Taking on the challenge of clinical teaching in nursing homes.

While the goal of professional nursing programs is to ensure that students have a basic level of competency to care for older adults in a variety of care settings, the greatest challenge is to garner students' enthusiasm about caring for older adults in nursing homes. To increase and strengthen the professional nursing workforce in nursing homes, schools of nursing must ensure that students have appropriately placed, well-designed, and innovative clinical experiences in nursing homes with faculty who are knowledgeable about the nursing home environment and the professional nursing care needs of its residents. Four factors identified as keys to success in developing exemplary clinical experiences for students in nursing homes include: (a) nursing homes with positive reputations and providing quality care, (b) faculty knowledgeable and enthused about nursing homes, (c) committed partnerships between schools of nursing and nursing homes, and (d) creative and innovative clinical teaching strategies.