They suggested specific learning activities, such as writing policies and procedures. Leadership skills are included in the current administration program. However, it is of interest how long term care DONs value and prioritize this content. Based on a pilot study conducted earlier with DONs, several additional content areas in addition to leadership skills were added. All these skills appear to be of considerable importance to the nurses in the survey.
Certification is perceived as evidence of professionalization.
The nurses in the survey were asked what certification credentials they should have. An interesting and important finding from this survey is the need for gerontological nursing content in a curriculum for a nursing administration program in long term care. Gerontology is addressed as a life-span topic, but not as a specialty such as pediatrics. Consequently, nurses who gain experience in long term care settings have had an educational background or a knowledge base to prepare them for giving or managing geriatric care. As this author suggested earlier, many nurse managers from acute care are moving into long term care management positions and these managers have advanced degrees.