Learn How to Land a Job as a Home Health Care Nurse
Why are there so many people who want to become home health care nurses ? By 2020, the world will need almost one million nurses, as more and more population will be getting old or sick for various reasons. This will make it easier and more desirable to land a job in this field someday. Moreover, the nursing profession is perhaps one of the highest-paid professions these days. A registered nurse, for example, can earn an average of $50,000 annually.
The Difference between Regular Nurses and Home Health Care Nurses
In truth, there’s not a stark difference between home health care nurses and regular ones, except that you can find nurses mainly in hospitals while home health care nurses can mainly be found in hospices, nursing homes, and in patient homes. Normally, their patients are elderly, who may need some assistance from professionals. It’s also one of the reasons too why a travel nurse also specializes in home health care. Rather than allowing the patient to suffer or be inconvenienced by commuting, they offer their services at the comfort of their patient’s home.
How to Become a Home Health Care Nurse
A home health care nurse needs to have the following:
1. The proper degree. You can never be a home health care nurse unless you have a proper educational background, which includes a nursing degree. Almost all universities and colleges all over the world offer some type nursing programs, so it shouldn’t be too hard for you to search for schools.
2. Certification. Home health care nurses need to be certified, or licensed, before they can practice their profession. Certifications can vary widely from state to state and country to country. A certified home health care nurse will want to be sure to be licensed properly to avoid legal issues. Anyone who wishes to become a home health care nurse should be aware of the rules and requirements in the area they wish to practice in beforehand.
3. Experience. Novice home health care nurses can still land a job; however, the more experience you have in this field, the higher your chances of getting better opportunities. While you can earn a sizeable income working for a home health care company, you will have more income potential if you are hired for private home health care nursing.
4. Patient bill of rights. A home health care nurse is required to provide a patient bill of rights to the patient or to the family or a representative of the patient just in case he doesn’t have the capacity to read or understand his rights. This means that nurses should be very knowledgeable in his or her duties and the rights of the patients under his or her care.
5. Close coordination with doctors. Nurses should have excellent communication and analytical skills so that medical situations can be described properly. Home health care nurses may need to coordinate with other health practitioners and doctors at times when the ailment is severe, requiring immediate help, or unusual, requiring a specialist.
Watch the video related to Home Health Care
Senior Helpers Provides Many services in the Jacksonville, Florida area. We provide a full array of Home Care services for seniors and the elderly living in this beautiful area. Our Home Care Services are provided by bonded and insured employees and all employees pass a National Background check. If you need Home Care services in Brooker, Bryceville, Callahan, Earleton, Flemming Island, Gainesville, Glen St. Mary, Green Cove Springs, Hampton, Hilliard, Jacksonville, Keystone Heights, Lawtey …
Help answer the question about Home Health Care
How would a person go about obtaining a license to practice home health care?I don't mind working in home health care, but hate working for agencies. I would love to be a free-lance health care worker, but was wondering if anyone knows the steps on how to get a license to do that? Thanks for your help.
About Author
A nurse today is being offered with better and wider opportunities to practice his/her profession. For one, he or she can venture into home health care where the environment is less strenuous, but the pay is comfortable.
December 13th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
You must target a place where there is a high number of seniors. Checking the census may help you in this matter. Ideally, you must target large cities. In order to legally operate, you must get a license from the state for you home health care agency. At start, you may hire workers with low salary to manage expenditure. It is advisable to do a background check before you hire them.Take up private medical insurance. This will assure your agency is able to meet with individual insurer necessities.
December 13th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
With regards to the genital herpes, there is NO danger of spreading this disease unless her clients come in contact with her genitals.
With regards to oral herpes – 50% to 80% of adults have this disease. It is incredibly common, and if health care workers were dismissed for having cold sores, then most of the jobs would be vacant.
As long as she won't be licking or having sex with the clients, her herpes shouldn't affect her ability to do this job.
I'm also sure that she hasn't told about the herpes – because she doesn't need to.
December 13th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Frankly, your best bet is to go about 25 miles or more away from where you intend to offer such a service and do some informational interviews with folks in the field–I saw 25 or more miles away so that you're not in direct competition with them.
This field will require a lot of paperwork and hoop jumping to start. I'd contact:
National Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116
your Area Agency on Aging
your state's Attorney General for any potential requirements
your County Health Department
You'll want to get Medicare and Social Security approved and on the list of approved providers for as many insurers (large ones first) as possible.
This will take serious start up money.
You'll need a business plan.
You'll need insurance and to have bonded, insured employees that you've run a background check on. Even though you won't provide medical services, there is no good reason for them NOT to be at the very least CPR certified.
I have no idea where you live, your market, if you're willing to jump through all the hoops, etc. so there's no way to come up with a guess on what you could earn. It's always harder to start a business than anyone thinks. It costs more. There are more problems to running one. It takes more energy, time, and money than people believe. You also run a risk of being sued so you NEED, this is non-negotiable, to consult an attorney and make sure you have the right kind of business structure and all necessary insurances, proper release forms, ways to process employees, etc. or this could be a good idea that bankrupts you. When ever you deal with a vulnerable population you run the risk of being sued because something WILL go wrong–it's irrelevant if it's your fault or not as to being sued. You need to know what to do to limit problems in advance.
Good luck.
December 14th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
For general career info: http://www.bls.gov/oco and can search 'personal and home care aides' or such.
Please do ask for something in writing making it official as to the hourly (or weekly) rate that you agree upon regardless of friendship
December 14th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Talk to Medicaid first then see if there are any other people doing it and contact them.
December 15th, 2009 at 12:40 am
I will forward you the information on
Symbiosis Consulting and Management
This company has successfully helped many people in establishing their Home Health Care business.
http://www.symbiosiscm.com
Contact Name : Dr.Rakesh Adwani. 248-761-4697
December 16th, 2009 at 5:55 am
this site has some
http://education-portal.com/home_health_aide_schools.html
i see commercial all the time…there are many schools inmy area
you will have ot check with each of them to see if they take private students or only agency sponsored studnets..
also be awar–aides are often paid by medicare–who pays the agency–it may be hard to get a job without an 'employer' agency
December 16th, 2009 at 8:56 am
while they are basically the same,, a home health care agency most likely emphasises more the sitter/companion type of help(someone who comes in, light housekeeping, companionship etc),, which is really not nursing, they also offer nursing visits,,,,,,, a nursing care agency may offer LPN's or less skilled care also, to give baths etc,, but their main focus often is on skilled nursing care
December 16th, 2009 at 8:58 am
check out the local competition and check their rates