What Does a Home Health Nurse Do?
Home health nurse jobs provide clinical healthcare to patients in their homes under the supervision of a physician or nurse practitioner. While most home health nurses take care of older adults with disabilities or provide hospice/palliative care, they also serve patients recently discharged from hospitals needing additional care.
Key responsibilities include the following:
Primary Responsibilities
- Treating wounds or injuries
- Administering treatments
- Monitoring vital signs and performing tests
Career Traits
- Empathy
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Flexibility
Where Do Home Health Nurses Work?
Home health nurses provide care in patients' homes, but work from a variety of settings, including hospice and homecare organizations, community facilities, and hospitals.
Hospice/Homecare Nurses administer medications, treat injuries and wounds, communicate with or educate family caregivers, and ensure patient's physical comfort.
Community Facilities Nurses administer medications, conduct tests, and coordinate care with other agencies or organizations.
Hospitals Nurses treat patients recovering from surgeries who no longer need inpatient care, administer medications, monitor and report vital signs, and conduct tests.
Why Become a Home Health Nurse?
Home health nurses help patients to remain in their homes during treatment rather than a hospital, and they get to know patients in a more personal way than hospital nurses. Like all registered nurse (RN) salaries, home health nurse salaries are above the national average. Home hospice nursing holds particularly powerful pros and cons from an emotional perspective.
Advantages To Becoming a Home Health Nurse
Disadvantages To Becoming a Home Health Nurse
How To Become a Home Health Nurse
How Much Do Home Health Nurses Make?
Home health nurses with the RN credential earn a median annual salary of $93,600, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) earn a median $39,530, below the $49,500 annual median salary for all jobs in the United States.
Both home health nurses and CNAs remain in demand. BLS projects nursing assistant jobs to increase by 2% between 2024 and 2034, with nursing positions expected to increase by 5%. Home health nurse jobs and home health nursing assistant jobs may grow at a faster rate because of the rising emphasis on providing care in homes rather than hospitals and the aging population of the United States.
How Home Health Per Visit Pay Works
Many home healthcare nurses receive salary pay, but others are paid per visit. Those paid per visit usually receive earnings through private insurance companies or government programs, such as Medicaid or Medicare, that use set fees. Usually, the first visit pays more than subsequent visits, since the first visit often takes longer to complete paperwork, meet family members for the first time, and assess the patient's needs.
Laws about overtime pay are often in flux, but according to federal law, home health nurses paid by visit are not eligible for overtime pay. However, state laws may vary.
Resources for Home Health Nurses
Frequently Asked Questions About Home Health Nurses
