Nursing homes provide patients with one-on-one care. In addition to being elderly, disabled, or terminally ill, patients may also be recovering from an injury or accident or living with a chronic illness that requires a home health nurse. In addition to providing ongoing care and education to pregnant women and new mothers, some home health nurses help new mothers as well. In-home healthcare, patients can receive specialized care, such as wound care, medication management, and IV therapy, in addition to basic needs like bathing and dressing.
The types of home health nursing
Nurses working in home health care may visit the same patient daily or several each day, depending on their specialization or a combination of specialties. They may have experience in all the following specialties in home health nurse:
- Gerontology
- Pediatrics
- Community/public health
- Psychiatric/mental health
- Medical/surgical
You can get a home health nurse job at a lot of places, including nursing homes, hospices, insurance companies, retirement communities, hospitals, and medical centers.
Requirements for education:Home health nurses must meet educational requirements before they can pursue a career. There are many job postings for home health nurses that do not require a bachelor’s degree and accept diplomas or certificates from accredited, state-approved programs for licensed practical nurses or licensed vocational nurses.Students can complete LPN and LVN programs at community colleges or technical schools. Successful completion of the NCLEX-PN is required for licensing.As a registered nurse, you can also earn a diploma in nursing, an associate degree in nursing (ADN), or a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) in four years. As with LPNs and LVNs, RNs must pass a National Council Licensure Examination.
RN training:If you plan on specializing your education, being more competitive in the job market, or pursuing a leadership position in the future, you might consider pursuing a more advanced degree. An RN-to-BSN program enables ADN-prepared nurses to obtain a bachelor’s degree quickly.As an advanced practice nurse or clinical nurse specialist in home healthcare, nurse graduates may also pursue a two-year master’s degree in nursing.It’s possible to specialize in a particular field such as mental health, acute care, or community health with a master’s degree.
Getting a job in home care:There are lots of jobs for home care nurses at home health agencies, hospices, retirement communities, and insurance companies. Additionally, some government agencies hire nurses to visit vulnerable patients at home to make sure they get care.Nurses with clinical experience are more likely to be hired, along with a CPR certification, a driver’s license, and reliable transportation.