Home Health Nursing Opportunities

Once upon a time, patients recovering from surgeries or serious illness once spent weeks confined to a hospital bed. These days more and more of them are being sent home early. There are a variety of reasons for the early discharge, including the superior care provided in hospitals today that enables patients to have their conditions stabilized much quicker and the frequent shortage of bed space within many facilities. One reason that often gets overlooked, however, is the availability of home health care nursing specialists who can provide treatment within the patient's home environment.

The existence of home health nursing is in large measure the result of advancements in medical technology that have made it possible for many of the more complex medical treatments to be performed outside of the hospital environment. Clinical nursing specialists are specifically trained to take advantage of this technology as they assist patients with treatments for a host of injuries, diseases, and other ailments. Many of these home health nurses specialize even further and become experts on providing care in the home for patients suffering from very specific disorders like cancer and diabetes, or with complex physical rehabilitation needs.

In most cases, the patients receiving this care are either older individuals or persons suffering from permanent disabilities, but many are also in need of only temporary assistance. Beyond the medical treatment provided, these home nursing providers also assist patients with such basic tasks as bathing, moving around the home, and dressing. Many times the assistance provided by these nurses is supplemented by visits from home health aides.

Home health nursing involves everything from making an initial determination of the home itself to deciding how the patient's needs may best be met within that environment. Home health care nurses are responsible for wound care, monitoring of symptoms, the delivery of medications, Educating the patient and relatives about proper home treatment, and supervising any other health care workers who may assist the patient. Because of their close proximity to patients, these nurses are often turned to for emotional support as well. Work assignments can vary from being responsible for only one patient on a regular basis to providing specific care for multiple patients each day.

Beyond the education required for all registered nurses - a 2 or 4 year degree in nursing - home health care nurses need an additional 2-year degree to become an MSN (Master of Science). The path to this degree offers very specific training to enable the nurse to specialize upon graduation. Additional certification varies from state to state, but often includes getting your state nursing board to acknowledge your status as an APN, or Advanced Practice Nurse.

Those who employ home health nursing professionals range from hospital administrators to health care firms devoted to home patient care. Income opportunities vary in accordance with a nurse's education and experience level, but often rise as high as $75,000 for clinical nurses in some areas of the country. Perhaps the most attractive aspect of home health nursing is in the area of demand, as the trend toward shorter hospital stays, combined with the aging U.S. population, should ensure that more and more of these specialists will be needed in the coming years.

by Karen P Williams