Home Health Care Nurse – Career and Education Profile

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Home health care nurses work with patients who need daily help from medical professionals, but who opt to live at home rather than in long-term care facilities. This includes both elderly patients and patients from all age groups dealing with long-term medical conditions.

Job Responsibilities

As a home health care nurse, you’ll be on the road a lot, so this is a good job for nurses who enjoy traveling. Many patients need help with certain tasks, yet are still well enough to live at home alone or with family members. Your job will be to travel to these patients’ homes to help them with things like bathing and personal hygiene, administering medicine, and checking vital signs to ensure that the patient is still health enough to remain living at home. Your job could also include educating patients and their families and recommending patients see a doctor if their condition worsens.

Salary and Career Options

The average salary for a home health care nurse was $58,740 as of May 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As a home health care nurse, you’ll likely work with patients who live in a single area and are dealing with a number of different medical conditions, but in some opportunities, you can specialize in one area of medicine, which allows you to earn more money as a nurse. You can also earn more money by living in a high-need location.

Educational Requirements

Because you’ll work so independently as a home health care nurse, most agencies require that you are an RN and hire few LPNs. Becoming an RN means that you earn at least an associate’s degree, though some RNs earn bachelor’s degree, which allows you to go on to get your master’s degree or even doctorate in nursing. Many home health care nurses also require you to have experience as a nurse at a medical facility before you apply, and some require you to be certified in home health care with the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

LPN to RN College Programs

With some additional schooling, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) can become a registered nurse (RN), opening doors to more job opportunities and higher salaries. The following is a list of schools with the best online LPN to RN degree programs offered by accredited colleges. You can request information by clicking the college's logo.

LPN to RN (BSN)	Indiana State University—ISU’s LPN to BSN degree program is the only online LPN to RN training program in the United States. LPNs and LVNs who complete this program can earn their NLNAC-approved Bachelor of Science degree in nursing entirely online. Upon completion, graduates should meet all of the prerequisites for becoming an RN. Read an in-depth review of Indiana State University.
LPN to RN LPN to ADN LPN to BSN	The College Network—Earn your LPN to RN (ADN) degree completely online with no campus attendance and no wait list. Learn from the convenience of home at your own pace, and earn an NLNAC-accredited associate’s degree in less time and for less money than traditional campus programs. Read an in-depth review of The College Network.
	Select a subject and degree level, then click "Find My Degree" to browse 100+ online nursing schools offering relevant accredited programs.
BS in Nursing RN to MSN MSN in Nurse Education MSN in Nurse Informatics MSN in Nurse Management	Walden University—Founded in 1970, Walden University is dedicated to providing education for a higher purpose. The Nursing School confers degrees at the bachelor’s and master’s level, which provides further study in health informatics, nursing education, and nursing leadership/management. Walden is one of the biggest providers of online master and doctorate programs with over a hundred degrees offered at each level.
RN to BSN MS in Nursing (MSN) MSN in Adult Health RN to MSN in Nurse Education Accelerated RN to MSN	South University—South University’s College of Nursing offers numerous degree programs for aspiring nurses. Those looking for a BSN degree can enter into the RN to BSN and complete it within 18 months. South also offers the following master’s degree-level programs: MS in Nursing (MSN), MSN in adult health nurse practitioning, MSN in nurse education, and an accelerated RN to MSN.
RN to BSN RN to MSN MSN in Nurse Administration MSN in Nurse Education	Kaplan University—Kaplan University’s RN to BSN and RN to MSN programs feature curriculums that provide registered nurses with the tools to graduate with BSN and MSN degrees. The MSNs in Nurse Administration or Nurse Education feature curriculums that teach methods in management and education in order to prepare students for leadership and educator positions with in the nursing field.