Home health nurses provide one-on-one, in-home patient services. Patients in need of home health nursing are typically disabled, severely ill, or elderly. Still, home health nurses can also serve those in a state of recovery from various degrees of injury or living with an incurable disease. The scope of home health nursing can also reach pregnant women and new mothers by serving them with education and support. Home health nurses also assist their patients with routine tasks that have become difficult, such as bathing, dressing, eating, and offering specialized support in caring for wounds, maintaining their scheduled medications, and IV therapy.

Home health nurses provide these clinical health services and more under the supervision of a healthcare provider, such as a doctor or nurse practitioner. Even most home health services focus on older adults. They also offer support to younger patients recently discharged from a hospital but still need additional, individualized care.

Home health nurses often complete an array of tasks during their visits to patients under their care. Every patient has a personal care plan tailored to his/her specific needs, which often include:

• Making an initial evaluation of the patient’s overall health
• Compiling an individualized care plan to meet the patient’s needs
• Cleaning and dressing patient wounds
• Administering medicine and treatments
• Performing routine tests
• Documenting symptoms, new or worsening conditions, and patient vital signs
• Monitoring and updating a patient’s care plan according to his/her needs
• Educating patients and their families on proper care
• Providing suggestions to improve patient quality-of-life
• Managing home health aides
• Communicating with prescribing physicians or other health advisors
• Providing encouragement and support to patients and their families
  
  When considering the length of care, home health nurses can work with patients on both a short and long-term basis. They also visit multiple patients daily. Home health nurses may specialize in a particular area of care or maybe well-versed in several types of care. These areas can include:
• Community/public health
• Pediatrics
• Surgery
• General Medicine
• Gerontology
• Pediatrics
• Obstetrics

Many businesses employ home health nurses, including hospice agencies, home health services, insurance companies, assisted living facilities, hospital systems, outpatient centers, and government organizations. Home healthcare is one of the fastest-growing industries in the U.S. due to several factors. Due to limited capacities and staff, hospitals are discharging patients sooner while still needing individualized medical care. The elderly population is also steadily growing, with those people still desiring to remain independent and in their own homes. Receiving treatment at home can also result in patients being more satisfied with their care plans and encourage those receiving services to more readily comply with their treatment plans. Beneficially, receiving home health treatments can be more cost-effective for patients, as home healthcare costs can be lower than those of a hospital or skilled nursing facility. These benefits serve as incentives for people to select home healthcare services as a practical option for care.


As the generation of baby boomers ages, their need for medical services will likely rise. This increase will likely strain the healthcare system and result in a greater need for nurses and other medical staff. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), overall healthcare employment projects to increase by 18% through 2026. Even more specifically, within that time frame, the need for more home healthcare workers and services is expected to grow a staggering 41%. Given these projections, healthcare agencies are faced with steep competition to recruit and hire qualified nurses to fill this growing gap.


Further, as baby boomers retire from their occupational fields, medical organizations will likely be searching to fill the empty roles left behind, including positions for RNs, LPNs, and LVNs. Given these variables, new and advancing employment opportunities will continue to become a reality for nurses.

Overall, home health services can be beneficial to both the provider and patient, as rendering and receiving care in this manner can allow for schedule flexibility, a more personal experience, a comfortable environment, and high quality of individualized care. As advancements in medical technology and average lifespan continue to increase in the U.S., home healthcare will likely become more readily available and widely used. Nurses who pursue careers in the home health field could find even more long-term security in their jobs since the BLS explains that healthcare tends to be relatively immune to economic factors compared to other job industries. Nursing jobs are also based on personal interaction and are challenging to computerize or subcontract.