Nursing home use for clinical rotations: Taking a second look

Because of the high acuity level of hospitalized clients and the rapid increase in aging populations, the placement of beginning fundamental students in a nursing home setting should be taken into more serious consideration. Thus, the purpose of the present paper was to describe the advantages and disadvantages of using nursing homes as clinical sites for baccalaureate of science in nursing education based on a comprehensive review of the literature. The main advantages are the wide spectrum of health needs, stable census, and regularly scheduled treatments in nursing homes. The main disadvantages are lack of adequate role models, lack of preparation and interest of the nursing faculty in working with the elderly, and potential for creating negative attitudes toward the elderly and their care.