When we think of nurses, we most often picture them working in the high-pressure setting of a busy hospital. But for many nurses, the most fulfilling moments of their career involve sitting by a patient’s bedside, helping them get the care that they need in the most comfortable and cosy of all settings: their own home. Home care nursing is much more personalised, and you can develop a closer relationship not just with the patient, but also with their family or other caregivers.
There is more structure in a hospital, and if you have a question, there is always someone there you can ask. As a home care nurse, by contrast, you have to be capable of making some key clinical decisions on your own initiative. Here’s what you need to know about becoming a home care nurse.
What is a home care nurse?
Registered nurses, enrolled nurses and personal carers can all work as home care nurses, although the level of care they can provide differs. Registered home care nurses and enrolled nurses can give medications (including IV fluids), treat wounds, record vital signs, perform physical exams, insert catheters and take blood samples for lab work. Personal carers work with lower dependency patients. Home care nurses work with a supervising physician to create and follow through on a plan of care. They may also help bathe and dress patients, and assist with other activities of daily life. While many home care nurses serve elderly and terminally ill patients, they might also be assigned to work with a patient who is recovering from an injury, a child with special medical needs, or even a new mother. They may check in with a few patients each day or be assigned to work with one patient long-term.
What kind of training does a home care nurse need?
A home care nurse who is going to be giving medication must be a registered or enrolled nurse, so at a minimum, they need to have a nursing degree and training as a professional nurse. Personal carers, on the other hand, may have a Certificate III in Aged Care, Community Care or similar. In any case, home care nurses should be particularly comfortable and confident with life-saving skills, since they are often the only medical personnel on the scene in an emergency.
Are many vacancies available?
The job outlook in this field is considered very good. As the population rapidly ages and many elderly people would prefer to stay at home as long as possible rather than move to assisted living or nursing care, there is a growing need for home care nurses. Hospitals are also looking for more ways to care for recovering patients at home, in order to reduce the length of hospital stays.
Who is best suited for this job?
If you love getting to know a patient in their own home, working independently and having flexibility in your schedule, home care nursing might be a good job for you. However, if you’d prefer the structure and activity of a busy hospital setting, and the feeling of working in a team, it might not be the right choice.