A significant proportion of the US population is older adults. With a good majority of the American population aging, an increase in demand for the provision of healthcare services increases.
This ultimately means that the need for doctors, nurses, and clinicians is going to sore up in great numbers.
In particular, the demand for increased home health care nurses will escalate because home health care nurses have an overall positive impact regarding the price of health care.
This is because the practice of home health care assists in maintaining the costs associated with hospital admissions low.
Mandatory Licensing and Practice Requirements for Home Health Care Nurses
Deciding to specialize in home health nursing is one of many nursing specialties that aspiring nurses can choose to pursue. For one to become a licensed and registered nurse, one can explore the following options:
- Pursue and complete an accredited degree in nursing. This will be a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Successful completion of this program permits one to acquire a practicing nursing license.
- Enrollment in accelerated RN programs. This can allow one to transfer credits from general nursing course programs, and it facilitates the obtaining of a nursing license within shorter periods as compared to the associate’s nursing degree programs.
Responsibilities of Home Health Care Nurses
Home health care nurses provide a wide array of solutions and services that are provided in the convenience of one’s home.
However, don’t think for a second that home health care is less effective as compared to hospital treatment.
Home health care nursing services provide the following benefits:
- Less costly
- Improved convenience
- Effective treatment and care
This shows that home health care solutions are just as effective as the medical attention or care one would receive in a hospital facility.
Some of the responsibilities that home health staff perform are:
- Examine the assigned patient’s nutrition pattern.
- Home health care nurses monitor and ensure optimum heartbeat rate, temperature, blood pressure, and breathing of their assigned patients.
- Scrutinize and ensure that patients are adhering to prescribed medical treatments as instructed by doctors.
- Enlighten their patients regarding the importance of taking care of one’s health.
- Health care nurses facilitate the coordination of their patient’s health care. Meaning they conduct regular communication, between a patient’s doctor and anyone else who’s mandated to provide care.
What are Some of the Characteristics and Qualities that Home Health Care Nurses Should Have?
Pursuing nursing as a career can have its ups and downs like working long hours, work-related stress, and reduced family time.
However, despite these challenges, a nursing career can be an inspiring and rewarding career.
With the increased number of people aspiring to be registered nurses (RNs). Home health care nursing agencies should strive to employ nurses who have specific nursing traits and qualities. They should be nurses with leadership capabilities.
Below are some of the sought after skills that can assist home health care nurses in becoming successful while navigating the dynamic, and fast-paced home health care environment.
Not all those who choose to specialize as a home health care nurse possess a caring persona. Some of them venture into the nursing field solely due to the job security that nursing provides.
Deciding to pursue accelerated RN programs or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing solely for the monetary benefit one stands to gain, is a wrong decision. This is because working as a nurse is a calling rather than a simple job.
Having an innate caring persona is what makes the difference when interacting and treating patients.
Home health care nurses have a natural ability to make their patients experience the feeling of being supported, and wanted. They get to experience a tremendous amount of success in their nursing careers.
Great Communication Skills
This is a vital quality and skill that all home health care nurses should have. Working as a nurse means you will be communicating and coordinating with various parties such as doctors, physicians, and patients.
Home health care nurses should have the ability to present themselves in an articulate, concise, and friendly manner to inspire trust and build relationships and bonds.
It is only through having great communication skills that a nurse can be able to solve a patient’s challenges and present effective medical care and solutions that are needed.
Home health care nurses who are incapable of interpreting and conveying information accurately are prone to making errors.
Lack of good communication skills also affects a nurse’s patients in that they tend to feel misinformed and disregarded. Ultimately this affects the productivity of the nursing unit.
Empathy
A good health care nurse is one who can empathize with the suffering of his or her patients.
The ability of a home health care nurse to practice compassion and put themselves in the shoes of their patients leads to the forming of an emotional bond with their patients.
Home health care nurses who are empathetic help their patients overcome emotional trauma and motivate them to look forward to a brighter future ahead.
Attention to Detail
Failure to follow stipulated steps and guidelines in the nursing field can cause profound consequences that may lead to a ripple effect.
Great home health care nurses are those who can pay close attention to key details without making any errors.
In a nutshell, home health care nurses should not leave anything to chance.
Noting down information in a notebook can help one refer back to it when it comes to the tiny patient details that one can forget.
Leadership
For nurses who opt to choose nursing as a career, growth, and advancement are inevitable as most nurses end up holding leadership roles.
However, leadership roles are not handed down to nurses on a silver platter. Both aspiring nurses and licensed nurses should do their due diligence to receive competent development and training opportunities.
For aspiring nurses, one can enroll in an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree (BSN). This will ensure that they receive all the appropriate training and skills needed to make them a competent nurse in whichever nursing field they choose to specialize in.
Final Thoughts
Working as a home health care nurse is a noble nursing profession. Those with a passion for helping get to provide exceptional health care and medical attention to ailing patients.
Home health care nurses possessing the aforementioned traits and characteristics, get to stand out in the nursing field and provide life-changing experiences to their patients.
This is a guest blog entry.
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