Are you considering becoming a Home Health Nurse but unsure exactly what is entails? Let’s dive in to figure out if Home Health Nursing is right for you!
What is Home Health Nursing?
A Home Health Nurse is a LVN (Licensed Vocational Nurse) or RN (Registered Nurse) that visits their patients houses to provide them with nursing care in the comfort of their own home. Most home health nurses typically have some sort of acute care background, meaning they worked in the hospital at some point so that they are more equipped to treat patients outside of the acute care setting. These nurses are typically assigned patients in a general area so that they are not wasting too much driving time to see their patients. Home health nursing is a specialized area in the field of public health nursing.
Patient Load
As a home health nurse, your patient load is going to be different than a nurse working with acutely ill patients in the hospital. You may be assigned to work with one patient every day or you may be assigned to check in on multiple patients in one day. Most home health nurses are going to see anywhere from about 6 to 8 patients a day.
Home Health Nurse Job Description
Home health nurses treat patients of all ages, from birth to death. They can treat wounds, give IV fluids, and provide enteral feedings all in the comfort of your own home. According to the CDC, aka the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, home health nurses provide, “needed medical assistance to ill, elderly, convalescent, or disabled persons. Home healthcare workers offer patients the unique opportunity to receive quality medical care in the comfort of their own homes rather than in a healthcare or nursing facility.” As a division of public health nursing, home health nurses also help reduce the spread of illness by educating patients on when to stay home and how to prevent the spread of infection.
Home Health Nurse Skills
Home Health Nurses are going to have skills similar to a med surg nurse. They need to know how to insert and care for IV’s, Foleys, NG tubes, and ostomies. Theses nurses will need to be able to do blood sugar checks, insulin injections, and diabetes education. They need to be able to perform wound care and provide enteral feedings all while promoting a clean or sterile environment to help prevent infection.
Home Health Nurse Salary
Home Health Nurses pay varies by state, location, and hospital. According to ZipRecruiter, home health nurses in Los Angeles California on average make about $47.32 per hour, equating to $98,432 per year. Nationally, home health nurses make about $87,322 per year.
So, What Makes a Good Home Health Nurse?
A good home health nurse is someone who likes treating patients in their own home. Home health nurses are going to be doing a lot of educating so this specialty requires patience, good communication skills, and a solid understanding of various diseases. Often times home health nurses are going to be treating multiple patients in one day, so infection prevention is going to be a top priority. Home health nurses must be comfortable working on their own and going into their patients houses without knowing much of what to expect. A good home health nurse is someone who is organized, calm, and meticulous in their patient care.
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