Career Counseling for Nurses in Skilled Nursing Facilities

Recruitment and retention of qualified nursing personnel is essential to the provision of quality care in long-term care facilities. This article describes a career counseling program, part of a larger career mobility project, designed for all levels of nursing personnel in five proprietary skilled nursing facilities in Southern California. Program structure, content, and process are detailed, along with evaluation data and program recommendations. Career counseling assisted nursing personnel to move within the Career Mobility Model, was perceived as helpful, and was associated with minimal cost. It was therefore recommended that career counseling and career mobility operations be housed within an organization-wide career development program.