How Does the Nursing Structure of a Nursing Home Facility Differ from That of a General Acute Care Hospital? Why? Are These Differences Necessary?

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Hospitals versus Nursing Homes
A general acute care hospital refers to an institution which may or may not be operated as a profit or not for profit controlled by the state government agency, municipality that operates in the diagnosis, care and treatment to patients suffering from an illness or injury that require interventions such as emergent care, outpatient care or other medical/nursing care for periods greater than 24 hours (Acute care, n.d.).
A nursing home refers to a facility licensed by the department of health (DOH) in the provision of room and board and medical oversight. Nursing home residents typically require continuous nursing care due to their mental status and debilitated health status (Long term care, n.d.). Furthermore, The Ominbus Reconcilitation Act of 1987 requires one RN on duty 24 hours per day in nursing homes which increases the cost to the government by about 75 M in addition to current staffing costs (Strahan, 1988).
A hospital’s size commonly dictates the particular organizational structure it employs. For example, due to or dependent upon the complexity of the organization a dual pyramid of organization may be used (Oestmann, 2012). The dual pyramid creates two lines of authority, the administrative staff and the clinical staff. In contrast, a nursing home is classified as a flat or horizontal organization whose structure eliminates most middle-management positions, thereby allowing top management to be more involved at the frontline (Definition of Flat, n.d.).
Nursing Structure in Nursing Homes Versus Hospitals
In nursing homes there are only 5.1 full-time RN's per one hundred patients. In contrast, hospitals maintain 1 RN for every 4.5 patients in hospitals (Strahan, 1988).
The nursing aspect of the hospital hierarchy often begins at the top with Chief nursing officer or Chief nursing executive. The next levels are the

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