Benefits of Being a Home Health Nurse
By: Melissa Mills, RN, BSN, CCM, MHA
Wish to be more independent in your nursing practice?
If you answered “yes,” then a home health nursing career may be
for you.
Home health nurses provide care for patients in their homes. Most home health nursing jobs work with the elderly or young children with developmental or mobility issues. They also help patients regain independence with physical function, medication management, and safety.
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Why Be a Home Health Nurse?
Home health nursing is a fast growing nurse specialty. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4.9 million patients received home care in 2013.
Aside from job security, due to managed care, here are some other benefits of home health nursing.
Flexibility
Home health nurses work independently of a facility and generally work through an agency. Giving them full control over the hours and schedule they work on a daily and weekly basis.
Most agencies allow nurses the autonomy to work as they see fit, as long as all of the visits are completed each day. This allows the home health nurse to schedule time for lunch, personal appointments, or any other daytime activity.
Patients
Home health nurses get a firsthand look at their patient’s home environment. This gives them access to a more personal relationship; allowing the freedom to get to know them and their families in a way that is not possible in a hospital setting.
Another benefit is the ability to work 1:1 with every patient visited. Nurses can take as long as needed to teach their patients the skills they need for self-care and/or independence.
Skills
Home health nursing is “real” nursing. Home health nurses perform tasks such as blood draws, IV insertions, advanced wound care techniques, and ventilators. Having mastered these techniques and skills is critical to being successful in this job.
Home health nursing jobs also require nurses to teach their patients self-care techniques to help them gain independence. An interest or passion for enabling patients to be their own caretakers is important to finding this specialty rewarding.
Money
According to Johnson & Johnson’s “The Campaign for Nursing,” a home health nurse salary ranges from $39K–$55K. This is comparable to hospital nursing.
Home health jobs typically offer the ability to pick up more visits, too. Nurses can easily increase their home health nurse salary by picking up extra visits without working an entire 8-hour or 12-hour shift.
Discover Home Health Nursing Jobs Today
Home health care nursing is a growing nurse specialty. It requires the home health nurse to have great clinical skills and offers many benefits that may not be available in other nursing specialties.