How to Become a Home Care Nurse

A home care nurse provides medical treatment for people outside the clinical setting. Home care nurses often work with disabled children, the elderly or those suffering from chronic illness. In this position, you can expect to do a lot of traveling and to get to know patients on an intimate level.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• State certification
• Nursing degree

Become a Home Care Nurse

1. Enroll in an accredited nursing program in your state. Always double-check to make sure your nursing program is accredited. If you earn your degree from an institution that does not have accreditation, you may not have access to the jobs you want.

2. Complete the coursework of the nursing program that has been approved by your state's nursing board. This should include extensive math and science courses, as well as technical applications in a hospital environment (real or simulated).

3. Take the state nursing certification exam and pass it. You will not be able to take the exam until after you've completed the prescribed coursework.

4. Research the qualifications required to become a home care nurse in your state. In some areas, a RN or BSN may be required while in others you can perform basic home care tasks with only a LVN certification.

5. Talk to your academic advisor or the career center at your school. As a home care nurse, you'll most likely work with an agency that will place you with in patients' homes. Partnerships between nursing schools and placement agencies are your best bet at finding your first job.

6. Become familiar with insurance regulations and providers. Pay close attention to learning all you can about Medicare and Medicaid. As a home care nurse, you will spend a lot of time educating your patients about these organizations and how they can benefit them.

Tips & Warnings

• Providing emotional support for the sick and disabled patients, as well as educating them, are some of the unique responsibilities required of the home care nurse.
• Know that the demand for home care nurses is increasing as the population ages. Many people do not want to be confined to a hospital, and a home care nurse is who enables them to maintain their independence and lifestyles, even after surgery or during serious illness.
• Practice patience and understanding. These skills are even more important when you're in someone's home than they are in the hospital or clinic.
• Research employment opportunities and salary information for home care nurses at My Nursing Degree Online (see Resources below).
• Recognize that working in a person's home involves unique difficulties. Outside the clinical setting people are more inclined to ask questions and you will not have the air of authority or infallibility you possess in the hospital.

Resources

• My Nursing Degree Online salary and job information.