AIT Planner & Checklist for Nursing Home Administrators

Fill in your details, pick your state, and rate yourself; the hours table below builds itself. Adjust anytime.

1 · Your program details

Optional. These print at the top of your plan, like the header of the curriculum you submit to your board.

Trainee

Preceptor and license number

Facility

Owner or operator

Certified beds

Program start date

2 · Your state and hours to plan

State

Hours to allocate

Training hours per week

Select your state to see its internship requirement. Always confirm the exact requirement with your state board, since rules vary and change.

3 · Rate your confidence in each domain

Be honest. Lower confidence sends more of your hours toward that domain's rotations. This is a personal self-rating, not an official assessment.

4 · Your suggested hours plan

Rotation	Domain	Planned	Logged
Total		0	0

Suggested starting points, weighted by your confidence ratings. You and your preceptor set the final split. Once your ratings differ, the rotations tied to your lowest-rated domain get a teal bar and a focus tag, and more of your hours shift toward them. Log completed hours on each rotation card below and your totals update here.

AIT Hours by State

Your selected state's requirement appears in the planner above. For every state's minimum AIT internship hours and continuing education, all fifty states and the District of Columbia, see the full reference page.

See AIT hours for all states →

State-specific exam sections are coming to the study tool. Request your state and we will prioritize it.

Before You Start · Finding Your Preceptor

Most state boards do not match you with a preceptor; you find your own. It is the single decision that most shapes your program.

Find

Where to look

Check whether your state board publishes a preceptor directory; a few (like Virginia) keep a voluntary list.
Use your state's license-lookup tool to find licensed administrators at facilities near you.
Look up any facility you are considering on Medicare Care Compare: recent inspections, staffing levels, and ratings.
Ask the state affiliates of AHCA, LeadingAge, and ACHCA; chapters often know who takes trainees.
Confirm the preceptor meets your state's rules: minimum years licensed, trainee limits (some states cap at one or two AITs), and a clean disciplinary record.

The life cycle of an AIT program, from finding a preceptor to filing your completion paperwork.

Phase 1

Secure your preceptor and approval

The right preceptor and written board approval before you start are the two decisions that most shape your program.

Identify a qualified preceptor: a licensed administrator who meets your state's preceptor requirements.
Confirm your state's internship requirement and get the program approved by your board in writing before you log any hours.
Set up a real learning environment: workspace, computer, phone, name badge, and email access.

Phase 2

Self-assessment

Establish an honest baseline so the program targets your gaps. Use the confidence sliders in the planner above as your starting point.

Rate your confidence in each domain in the planner above and review it with your preceptor.
Take a baseline practice exam to see your starting percentage in each domain. Start with the free NAB practice questions on NHAExamPrep, or a full simulation scored by domain.
Use the results to confirm which rotations deserve more time and which you can move through faster.

Phase 3

Program design

Build the individualized plan you and your preceptor will follow. The hours table above is your first draft.

Use the suggested hours plan above as a starting point, then adjust each rotation with your preceptor.
Draft a written development plan with activities and objectives for each department module.
Involve the department heads in the plan, since they will spend real time teaching you.
If you lack a nursing background, consider CNA training; some states credit it toward AIT hours. Ask your board.
Submit the proposed program to your state board for approval if your state requires it.
Plan supplemental training: webinars, state association courses, and external programs, and confirm with your board which count toward hours.

Phase 4

The training experience

The heart of the program. The rotations in Part 2 all live here.

Work through each department rotation in Part 2 below, by observation and hands-on participation.
Include some night and weekend shift coverage to see how the building runs off-hours.
Lead at least one real quality-improvement project from start to finish.
Visit or research your state licensing agency and trade associations (AHCA, LeadingAge, ACHCA, NAB).
Keep your module summaries and hours log current, and submit the reports your board requires, including any midway progress report.

Phase 5

Program completion

Close out cleanly so nothing delays your exam eligibility.

Repeat your confidence self-rating and compare it to where you started.
Confirm your hours or term meet your state requirement and get them certified by your preceptor.
File your completion and documentation forms with your state board.
Apply for exam eligibility and register for the NAB CORE and NHA exams once approved.

Complete a rotation in every area, even ones where you already have experience. Suggested hours from your plan appear on each.

Rotation 04

Business Office and Financial Management

logged of planned hrs

Read the operating budget and a monthly variance report with the business office.
Learn the payer mix and how Medicare Part A (PDPM), Medicaid, managed care, and private pay reimburse the facility.
Understand the Medicare SNF benefit: the qualifying 3-day stay, the 100-day benefit, and days 1-20 versus 21-100 coinsurance.
Learn the beneficiary-notice process (SNF ABN and denial letters) and how it protects the facility and the resident.
Practice core operating math: occupancy and census, per-patient-day cost, labor as a percent of revenue, and common ratios.
Sit in on the triple-check that reconciles clinical, MDS, and billing before claims go out.
Review the Medicaid application and pending process and how it affects cash flow and accounts receivable.
Review resident trust fund handling, the required quarterly statements, and internal financial controls (42 CFR 483.10).
Follow accounts receivable and payable, cash receipts, banking procedures, and the collections process.

Rotation 05

Dietary and Food Service

logged of planned hrs

Learn menu planning, therapeutic and texture-modified diets, and the registered dietitian's role.
Review food storage, handling, and holding temperatures and the sanitation practices surveyed under the food F-tags.
Learn the meal-spacing rule: no more than 14 hours between the evening meal and breakfast, extendable to 16 with a bedtime snack.
Understand how nutrition ties to clinical outcomes: weight-loss tracking, hydration, and pressure-injury risk.
Review resident food preferences, dining assistance, and the dignity-of-dining requirements.
Learn dietary staffing, competency, and how state and CMS surveyors inspect the kitchen.
Review the emergency food and water supply plan.
Understand cost controls: food cost per patient day, purchasing, and waste.

Rotation 06

Rehabilitation

logged of planned hrs

Learn the roles of physical, occupational, and speech therapy and of restorative nursing.
Understand how therapy minutes and function drive the PDPM components and the MDS.
See how therapy screens and evaluates new admissions and contributes to the care plan.
Review Medicare coverage rules for therapy, medical necessity, and documentation.
Learn the difference between skilled therapy and restorative nursing and when each applies.
Understand how therapy supports discharge planning and reducing rehospitalization.
Compare in-house and contract therapy models and their cost and quality tradeoffs.
Review the outcomes (function, discharge to community) that feed the quality measures.

Rotation 07

Medical Records

logged of planned hrs

Learn clinical documentation, the legal medical record, and retention and destruction requirements.
Review HIPAA privacy and security, minimum-necessary access, business associate agreements, and breach response.
Understand how the electronic record and the MDS transmission to CMS (iQIES) work.
Learn how coding and documentation support PDPM and the quality measures.
Review release-of-information, subpoenas, and resident access to their records.
Understand audit trails, late entries, and documentation integrity.
See how the surveyor's chart review works and how records support survey and litigation readiness.
Learn record-completion timelines and physician certification and recertification.

Rotation 08

Activities and Therapeutic Recreation

logged of planned hrs

Observe how activity programming supports resident well-being, dignity, and person-centered care.
Learn programming for residents with dementia and behavioral-health needs.
Review the activities assessment and how it feeds the MDS and the care plan.
Understand resident choice, community integration, and the requirement for an ongoing program run by a qualified professional.
Learn how activities support quality-of-life measures and reduce behavioral and antipsychotic issues.
Review volunteer programs, community partnerships, and family engagement.
Understand documentation, attendance, and outcome tracking, plus department budgeting and supplies.

Rotation 09

Social Services and Admissions

logged of planned hrs

Follow a resident from pre-admission screening through admission, transitions of care, and discharge.
Learn PASARR (Levels I and II) and its role in appropriate placement.
Review resident rights, the grievance process, and the required grievance official.
Understand psychosocial assessment, care-plan participation, and behavioral-health supports.
Learn discharge and transfer notice requirements, the bed-hold policy, and safe-discharge planning.
Understand the ombudsman role, resident and family councils, and advance directives.
Review admission agreements and prohibited practices such as third-party guarantees of payment.
See how social services supports reducing rehospitalization and transitioning residents to the community.

Rotation 10

Housekeeping and Laundry

logged of planned hrs

Learn environmental infection-control practices, isolation cleaning, and EPA-registered disinfectant use.
Review clean and soiled linen handling, laundry processing, and cross-contamination prevention.
Understand how environmental services fits the facility infection-control program and the environment F-tags.
Learn staffing, scheduling, productivity standards, and quality rounds.
Review chemical safety, safety data sheets, and hazard communication.
Understand the clean, odor-free, homelike-environment expectations under the requirements of participation.
Review pest control, waste handling, and regulated medical waste, plus supply par levels and cost.

Rotation 11

Environmental Management and Maintenance

logged of planned hrs

Walk the life-safety systems with maintenance: fire alarm, sprinkler, smoke barriers, and the Life Safety Code (NFPA 101-2012) survey.
Read the all-hazards emergency preparedness program, the drill and exercise schedule, and after-action reviews.
Review preventive-maintenance logs, the work-order system, and vendor and service contracts.
Learn generator and utility management, including required testing and the emergency power supply.
Understand the water-management program and Legionella risk reduction.
Review hazardous materials, safety data sheets, and safe storage.
Join environment-of-care rounds and see how they catch survey risks before the surveyors do.
Understand capital planning, equipment replacement, and the physical-environment F-tags.

Everything above ties back to the four NAB domains of practice.

Domain 1 · Care, Services, and Supports. Nursing, Rehabilitation, Dietary, Activities, Social Services, and Medical Records. The largest share of the NHA exam.

Domain 2 · Operations. Finance, risk management, and human resources. Business Office and HR rotations.

Domain 3 · Environment and Quality. Care setting and regulatory compliance. Maintenance, Housekeeping, and survey-focused work.

Domain 4 · Leadership and Strategy. Leadership and organizational strategy. Built across your administration rotation and your quality-improvement project. Weighted on the CORE exam.

Final Stretch

From training to the exam

Take a second full practice exam and compare it to your baseline to find remaining weak domains. A full NHAExamPrep simulation scores you domain by domain.
Download the current NAB Candidate Handbook and review the CORE and NHA exam structure.
Build a focused study plan that targets your weakest domains first.
Confirm eligibility and complete your state and NAB exam applications.

Pitfalls That Derail AIT Programs

Patterns that show up in state board rules and real programs. Each one is avoidable.

Starting before board approval. In most states, hours logged before the board approves your program in writing do not count. Get approval first.
Missing the completion window. Several states require the program to finish within a set period from approval (Virginia allows 24 months; New York requires completion within two years). Stalling can void hours.
Assuming every hour counts. Some states cap credited training at 40 hours per week and require a mix of shifts, including nights and weekends.
Losing a preceptor without a plan. If your preceptor leaves, states set short deadlines to notify the board and name an approved replacement before credit resumes. Know your state's rule on day one.
Acting like a licensed administrator. An AIT cannot practice as, or use the title of, a nursing home administrator. Doing so can jeopardize the program.
Waiting to study. The licensing exams test the same domains your rotations cover. Studying during rotations, while the material is in front of you, beats cramming after your hours are done.

AIT Frequently Asked Questions

Is an AIT position paid?: It varies more than most people expect. Some operators, usually larger organizations with formal AIT pipelines, pay a salary with benefits. Many AITs, especially in self-arranged programs, train unpaid, and no rule requires the position to be paid. Ask up front and get the arrangement in writing before you commit.
Can I do my AIT part-time?: Many states allow part-time programs, but completion windows still apply and some states cap weekly credited hours. Confirm both with your board before you plan around it.
How long will my program take?: It depends on your state's requirement and your weekly pace. Pick your state above, enter your hours per week, and the planner estimates your finish date.
What exams come after the AIT?: Most states require the NAB CORE exam (knowledge shared across long-term care settings) plus the NHA line exam for nursing homes. Some states add their own state exam on laws and rules. Check your state's exam column with your board.
Can prior experience shorten my hours?: In some states, yes. Nurses, CNAs, and candidates with health-administration degrees may qualify for reduced hours or waivers. Ask your board what credits apply before designing your program.
Do my hours expire?: In states with completion windows, effectively yes: if the program is not finished within the window, hours can be lost. Confirm your deadline before pausing a program.

Glossary · Terms You Will Hear in Week One

AIT: Administrator-in-Training: a board-registered trainee completing supervised hours toward licensure.
Preceptor: The licensed administrator who supervises your program and certifies your hours to the board.
NAB: National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards, which writes the national licensing exams.
CORE exam: NAB's exam covering knowledge shared across long-term care settings; paired with a line-of-service exam such as the NHA.
Survey: The unannounced state inspection that assesses a facility's compliance with federal and state requirements.
CMS-2567: The statement of deficiencies a facility receives after a survey.
Plan of Correction (POC): The facility's written response to a 2567 describing how each deficiency will be fixed.
F-tag: The identifier for a specific federal requirement cited as a deficiency on a survey.
MDS: Minimum Data Set: the standardized resident assessment that drives care planning, quality measures, and reimbursement.
PBJ: Payroll-Based Journal: the quarterly staffing data every facility submits to CMS.
QAPI: Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement: the facility's required, data-driven quality program.
PPD: Per patient day: a cost or staffing figure expressed per resident per day.
Census: The number of residents in the building, the number every department plans around.
Ombudsman: An independent advocate for residents, outside the facility's chain of command.
Care Compare: CMS's public site showing each facility's ratings, inspections, and staffing.
Administrator of Record: The licensed administrator a facility formally designates to the state as responsible for its operation; the name on the facility's license. Your preceptor usually holds this role at your training facility.

Study while you train, not just after

NHAExamPrep turns these same four domains into daily practice, full simulations, and an exam-week plan. Studying during your rotations, while the material is in front of you, beats cramming after your hours are done.

See how the prep works

This planner is a general study and training aid built on the publicly known structure of the Administrator-in-Training program. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a substitute for guidance from the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB), the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA), any state licensing board, CMS, or your official AIT program. It does not reproduce any copyrighted program materials. State internship requirements shown here are for planning only and must be confirmed with your state board. Requirements, rotation structures, domain weightings, and program rules vary by state and change over time. Always follow your state board and your preceptor. Nothing here guarantees any exam result or licensure outcome.

Plan and Track Your AIT Program

AIT Hours by State

Before You Start · Finding Your Preceptor

Where to look

Secure your preceptor and approval

Self-assessment

Program design

The training experience

Program completion

Administration

Human Resources

Nursing

Business Office and Financial Management

Dietary and Food Service

Rehabilitation

Medical Records

Activities and Therapeutic Recreation

Social Services and Admissions

Housekeeping and Laundry

Environmental Management and Maintenance

From training to the exam

Pitfalls That Derail AIT Programs

AIT Frequently Asked Questions

Glossary · Terms You Will Hear in Week One

Study while you train, not just after

Your Plan

AIT Hours by State

Before You Start · Finding Your Preceptor

Where to look

Part 1 · The Five Phases of the Program

Secure your preceptor and approval

Self-assessment

Program design

The training experience

Program completion

Part 2 · The Eleven Department Rotations

Administration

Human Resources

Nursing

Business Office and Financial Management

Dietary and Food Service

Rehabilitation

Medical Records

Activities and Therapeutic Recreation

Social Services and Admissions

Housekeeping and Laundry

Environmental Management and Maintenance

Part 3 · How It Maps to the Exam

From training to the exam

Pitfalls That Derail AIT Programs

AIT Frequently Asked Questions

Glossary · Terms You Will Hear in Week One

Study while you train, not just after