There are several reasons that working as a home health care nurse places you at a greater advantage than working in a facility or hospital, and the ability to work from just about anywhere is one that falls under the category of flexibility. Home health nursing is quickly growing as health insurance companies are shortening hospital stays and patients are coming home while still requiring some medical care. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say there were 4.5 million people who received in-home care during 2015.
Home Health Nurses Enjoy Flexibility
Working in someone’s home allows you to work independently on a daily basis while giving you control over your hours, schedule and patient load. The other side of the coin is that you must feel comfortable in your skills to work independently in someone’s home, where you are the first line of defense in an emergency. Most home care agencies will allow nurses to set their own schedule as long as they accomplish each visit required by the end of the day. This means you’ll be allowed to schedule your own personal appointments or daytime activities as long as you complete your visits.
Home Health Nurses Grow Their Skills and Career Options
Home health nurses must be able to function independently, including doing blood draws, wound care, placing IVs and taking care of patients who are on ventilators. By mastering the skills, a home health nurse improves their viability in any field. Home health nurses are also required to educate their patients and families on strategies that will help the patient gain independence. As a home health nurse, you’ll be faced with a variety of illnesses and diseases, and won’t be locked into one specific type of patient as you might be on a cardiovascular unit or surgical unit. This opens you up to a variety of experiences and perspectives you may not otherwise gain.
Home Health Nurses Make Comparable Money to Hospital Nursing
While the compensation is comparable, your schedule is more flexible and the types of patients and experiences you’ll enjoy our more varied. It is easy to see how home health nursing offers greater benefits overall. In addition, you can easily pick up extra visits and overtime without working an entire 8-hour or 12-hour shift to achieve your goal.
Home Health Care Nurses Enjoy Deeper Relationships With Their Patients
Inherent in the work environment, is your ability to spend more time and energy with one individual. This often means you’ll develop more meaningful and lasting relationships, in a lower stress work environment. Many home health nurses list the people they meet and the relationships they form as some of the biggest rewards of working as a home health care nurse. The experiences and the stories you’ll enjoy well not only benefit your patient but also enrich your life.
Are You Ready to Take Control of Your Schedule?
It is time to join the ranks of those who set their schedules, work the hours they desire and still have the ability to meet their family obligations. You can do all this while growing your professional career and being compensated as you would in a hospital. If you are ready to enjoy the benefits of home health nursing, call Anodyne today! We’ll work with you to develop a group of patients and families with whom you connect.