Nurses who are just beginning their careers have many paths to choose from – hospitals, clinics, home health. Yet, most new nurses overlook one of the most rewarding settings – long-term care.
For new nursing graduates, long-term care offers more than a job. It’s a place to build confidence, master clinical skills, and form lasting connections.
PMMA’s Senior Vice President of Clinical and Education Alyssa Johnson knows this firsthand. She started her career in senior living while she was still in high school and inspired by watching her mother’s work in long-term care.
“By the time I was in the nursing program, I had more knowledge and awareness about senior living than my classmates,” she remembers. “Senior living is rarely emphasized in the nursing program curriculum, so new nurses simply aren’t as familiar with it.”
As long-term care communities face a nursing shortage, early exposure to this clinical setting may be key. That’s why PMMA is partnering with nursing schools across Kansas for the opportunity to offer students hands-on experience in senior living and promote the benefits of geriatric nursing.
While hospitals are the largest employers of registered nurses nationwide, (59%according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics), only 6% of RNs work in residential care communities. Nursing schools often recommend hospital careers, highlighting acute care as the gold standard for practicing complex clinical skills. Graduates may believe hospitals stronger training and better resume credentials.
“Nursing students talk to classmates who are hospital-focused, creating a peer pressure situation,” says Johnson. “This reinforces the perception that hospitals are the “default” choice and that senior care means basic care or end of life care. Most students don’t realize how complex the clinical work and exposure in a nursing home can be.”
A 2025 survey by Skilled Nursing News supports Johnson’s point. It found patient acuity in long-term care settings continues to increase, giving nurses the chance to practice complex skills with some often-surprising benefits.
Why Long-Term Care Is the Best Place to Start Your Nursing Career
1. Develop and expand your skills
Long-term care nurses have daily opportunities to develop strong assessment and critical thinking skills. They regularly face complex chronic care and must learn to make decisions that impact their residents’ quality of life.
Johnson remembers a case early in her career.
“I noticed subtle but concerning changes in a resident – things that might have been overlooked if you didn’t know them well or what their “normal was,” she recounts. “The resident’s color was slightly off, breathing was slightly labored, and I could tell something was brewing. I trusted my instincts and initiated nursing interventions while contacting the physician. When the doctor validated by actions, it made me realize I had the skills to protect the resident.”
Nurses in long-term care can quickly develop leadership and delegation skills. They often supervise aides, coordinate with providers, and manage care plans.
2. Care for the whole patient
Long-term care nurses learn to practice a holistic approach to care by addressing their residents’ physical, cognitive, social, and emotional needs. They apply all of their nursing skills every day – from chronic disease management to acute crisis response, they learn to make clinical decisions independently.
This environment not only builds their confidence, but also provides a broad foundation that makes nurses adaptable to other settings if desired.
3. Advance your career more quickly
Moving into advanced roles may happen sooner in senior living due to smaller team sizes.
Nurses can advance to positions such lead charge nurse, wound care nurse or leadership roles such as director of nursing, QA or MDS coordinator, all while maintaining their clinical background.
Across its communities, PMMA has several nurses who grew into leadership positions while with the organization. “Many people don’t realize how much leadership opportunity there is,” says Johnson.
4. Achieve better work-life balance
While long-term care work is demanding, the environment tends to be less hectic than in hospital. Schedules in senior living are also more predictable making it easier for nurses to manage work and life.
“The pace is different,” Johnson says. “It can be more relational and less task driven. That doesn’t mean it is easier, but it allowed me to grow professionally while I was still present for my family.”
5. Build long-lasting connections
One of the most rewarding aspects of working in long-term care is forming strong bonds with residents and their families. These relationships grow deeper over time. Johnson finds that to be deeply meaningful.
“Hospitals often see patients for a short time,” she says. “In senior living, you walk alongside residents and families through their journey. I’m proudest of the trust families and staff placed in me and knowing that I’ve made a long-lasting impact.”
For nurses starting out, long-term care isn’t just a place to gain experience – it’s a place to make a difference.
Starting your career in a PMMA community lets you sharpen your skills, build strong relationships, and make a real impact on residents’ lives every day – while setting yourself up for long-term success.
