Home Health Nurse

A Home Health Nurse cares for patients in their homes, helping them with tasks that they can’t do themselves due to injury or disease, and providing relief to family members who may be primary caregivers.

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High demand

Home Health Nurses are highly in demand due to the rising cost of lengthy hospital stays and long-term care facilities.

Required education

ADN or BSN

Average annual salary

$38k–$78k

Source: PayScale, Aug 2018

Attributes

Independent

Work on your own or even start your own practice.

Out of hospital

Treat patients in their homes, during travel, or other non-hospital environments.

Patient-facing

Work hands-on, directly with patients.

Varied

Take on different tasks, patients, and situations every day.

You’ll work mostly with the elderly but sometimes with younger children who have developmental or mobility issues.

Nursing bag, medication, and signs cartoon graphic

What you’ll do

Assessment

You’ll examine patients, evaluate their response to treatment and monitor their progress.

Collaboration

You’ll work with patients’ families and doctors.

Education

You’ll teach patients and their families about diseases, processes, treatment and the best ways to stay healthy.

Treatment

Administer medications and IVs, change bandages and take care of wounds, help with mobility and develop treatment plans.

Where you’ll work

Patients’ homes

Hear what Home Health Nurses have to say

The daily duties of a Home Healthcare Nurse

Carmen, BSN, RN, CLC, RNC- MNN, tells us why she would never choose to be anything other than a Home Healthcare Nurse.

How to become a Home Health Nurse

01

Get an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

02

Pass the NCLEX-RN and work as a Registered Nurse.

03

You’re ready to work as a Home Health Nurse.

04

There isn’t a specific certification for Home Health Nursing.

You can become a specialist by pursuing a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).

Join an Organization

Become a member of a Home Health Nurse organization to find career opportunities, learn from your colleagues, and support the profession.

Related Organizations

Home Healthcare Nurses Association (HHNA)

Female nurse smiling taking blood pressure of elderly female patient in nursing home setting

Real Nurses Real Stories

Five Reasons to Consider a Career as a Home Health Nurse

Are you drawn to a nursing career, but want to avoid working in a hospital setting? Visiting nurses meet patients where they are, by providing care for them in their homes. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, home healthcare is one of the nation’s fastest-growing industries, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 5 percent for 2014–2024, which translates to approximately 760,400 new jobs.

2017-06-15T04:00:00Z

A Legal Nurse Consultant’s role is also out-of-hospital.

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A Flight Nurse’s is another type of community nurse.