Qualifications/Skills of a Home Health Nurse

How to become a Home Health Nurse

Becoming a home health nurse is your opportunity to make a big difference in the lives of people who are homebound and depend on someone to come to them. 

You can begin your career as a home health nurse can begin once you obtain your designation and credentials as a registered nurse (RN). One you graduate from an accredited nursing school, you must pass the NCLEX-RN exam, and apply for a nursing license in your state. Then, you can start practicing. As long as you have at least one year of experience as a home health nurse, you are qualified to be a home health travel nurse. 

Home health nurse duties cannot be performed without the proper certifications. The majority of home health nursing jobs will require Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications. 

Some home health care providers like to see additional certifications, depending on the home health nurse duties and the patient population. Although you can longer apply for a new certification in this arena, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) offers renewal of the Home Health Nursing Certification (RN-BC) for nurses who are already certified. There also certifications for sub-specialties under the home health care nursing umbrella such as hospice or palliative care.

You may also find it useful to seek out resources for additional education. These potential resources could include:

• Visiting Nurses Association of America
• International Home Care Nurses Association
• National Association for Home Care & Hospice

Read More About Home Health Travel Nursing Salary and Requirements from the link below.