Careers in Home Nursing

Patients who need long-term health care have been gravitating toward two options. The first option, better for those needing more attention, is to live in a nursing home. A second option, for those who don’t wish to leave their own homes, is home nursing. As the Baby Boomers get older and more people start needing home nursing care, more job opportunities in this area of nursing will continue to open up.
 

Home Health Nursing

Nurses that visit individual homes are considered home health nurses. Home health nurses diagnose patients and develop their patients' treatment plans. These nurses will sometimes have home health aides to assist them. Home healthcare patients range from those recovering from cancer to those recovering from serious physical injury.

Nursing Home Care

Nurses working at nursing homes have the advantage of having all of their patients living under a single roof. Their job is to treat anything from broken bones to Alzheimer’s disease. Often, the registered nurses act as supervisors to the licensed practical nurses and nursing aides. The licensed practical nurses take care of most things, while registered nurses provide assistance with less invasive, more general medical needs.

How to Become a Home Health Nurse

To pursue any of the various nursing fields, students will first need to become registered nurses (RNs). The minimum educational requirements for becoming a registered nurse are any of the following:
  • a bachelor’s degree in nursing
  • an associate degree in nursing
  • a diploma from an approved nursing program.
Once students complete their nursing education, they will have to pass an examination called the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX -RN). Passing the NCLEX means that students know how to complete even very difficult nursing tasks.
 
After becoming a general registered nurse, students can further specialize, during which time they can earn certification to practice home nursing. Typically, someone in the home nursing field takes one of two paths. They can apply for a position as a nurse in a nursing home, or they can choose to travel to individual’s homes to provide health care. The average salary for registered home nursing is $56,968.

Licensed Practical Nurse

If you have not fulfilled the educational requirements to become a registered nurse, there are still ways to provide nursing home care. A licensed practical nurse has a narrower range of nursing skills but is still allowed to provide patient care.
 
To become an LPN, you must attend a specific licensed practical nursing school, which will prepare you for the NCLEX–LN. After completing this examination, students can start practicing home nursing. The average salary for a licensed practical nurse is $38,189.
 
Home nursing has been increasing in popularity recently, causing more positions to open up in the field. Many nurses who previously worked in other fields are also switching to home nursing to more one-on-one long-term interactions with their patients.
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