What Does a Home Health Nurse Do?
If you’re interested in becoming a registered nurse (RN), but you don’t want to work in a hospital or skilled nursing facility, home health nursing could be right for you. Unlike other RNs, home health nurses work directly in patient homes, providing an extra level of care to patients with certain health issues. Exactly what does a home health nurse do? Let’s find out.
What Is a Home Health Nurse?
A home health care nurse is an RN who is specially trained to provide care outside of traditional healthcare settings. Many home health nurses work with elderly or disabled patients. Others see patients who have been recently discharged from a hospital and may need help when they go home.
What Does a Home Health Nurse Do?
Home health nurses help patients with a variety of diagnoses. For example, you may provide palliative care to a person undergoing cancer treatment, or you may help a recently discharged patient care for a wound. It really all depends on the particular needs of each individual patient.
What Does a Home Health Nurse Do on Their Visits?
While all patients’ needs are different, there are some general home health nurse responsibilities you’ll take charge of. You’ll need to examine patients, track their progress through recovery, and administer certain treatments. Most home health nurses know how to collect blood samples, monitor vital signs, and respond to emergencies.
What does a home health nurse do for patients beyond direct caregiving? Good question. Home health nurses are also important teachers, helping a patient in their care (and a patient’s family and friends) know more about their diagnosis and treatment plans.
How to Become a Home Health Care Nurse
Home health nursing can be exceptionally rewarding, but it also requires a certain level of proficiency and nursing expertise. There are a few home health nurse requirements you must meet before you are able to work in this position.
1. Get an advanced degree, either an associate degree in nursing (ADN) or a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN). In general, ADN programs take two years to complete. BSN programs, on the other hand, take about four years.
2. Pass the National Council Licensure Examination for RNs (NCLEX-RN). This examination usually takes several hours and covers many topics in nursing, such as nursing practice, medicine, and the legal aspects of nursing.
3. Gain experience. Many healthcare organizations prefer that home health nurses work several years in a hospital setting before taking care of patients in their homes. In some cases, prospective employers may require experience in highly specialized environments, such as critical care nursing.
How Much Do Home Health Nurses Make?
A home health nurse salary can be comparable to an RN salary, which is a median of $77,600 per year. That’s about $37.31 per hour. Home health nurses are often paid on salary. However, others are paid for the number of patient visits they complete each day. How you’ll get paid depends on your employer.
Benefits of Working in Home Health Nursing
Flexibility
Since a home health care nurse sees patients in the patients’ homes, the nurse can usually make his or her own schedules. You won’t be committed to shift work like you would be in a hospital setting.
Independence
Home health nurses must be comfortable practicing without any supervision or backup. These jobs give RNs the ability to practice at the top of their license, using all their clinical skills to provide top-notch care.
Strong Relationships
Home health nursing often offers greater opportunity to develop strong relationships with your patients. These relationships may last for years, providing a rewarding experience for both you and your patient.
Wish You Had More Job Flexibility?
The short answer to “What does a home health nurse do,” is “a lot.” But having job flexibility is a definite benefit for many. Are you looking for better scheduling options? Find out how IntelyCare can help you manage your nurse-life balance.