The all time noble and respectable profession of nursing is fast becoming a lucrative career. The last decade has witnessed a huge deficit in the supply of trained nurses to the increasing demand in different health establishments. Nursing as a full fledged profession provides job satisfaction and job security, the flexibility in choosing where, when and how much to work, great compensation package, a job stability that few other careers may offer and a number of career paths within nursing to choose from. Thus, once you are armed with education and training in nursing, rest assured the world is your oyster.
Nursing is no longer restricted within the walls of the hospital. Travel nursing, independent contract nursing, nursing assistants, emergency room nursing, floor nursing, operating room nursing, pediatric nursing, psychiatric nursing, home health nursing etc. are some of the fields within nursing that one can pursue.
Home health nursing is growing as a popular career option for nurses. The increasing population of the senior citizens requires a lot of care on a daily basis. This has lead to an increase in demand for aides at home who can treat, examine and provide therapies and interventions for the usual ailments and sickness generally faced by the elderly.
Home health nursing is similar to the job of a normal nurse. It requires the nurse to take on all responsibility and extend personal care and attention to the patient, the difference being that the nurse has to travel all the way to the patient's home for providing this care. Generally the home health nurse works with disabled or elderly people, who require care and attention beyond that which the family members of the patient can provide. A home health nurse usually takes care by assisting the patient in daily chores like laundry, cooking, housekeeping, bathing, dressing etc. A home health nurse also checks temperature, changes dressings, takes the pulse count of the patient and also helps the patient with exercises or other treatments prescribed by the doctor or therapist.
Home health nurses generally get employed at the homes of clients, who are invalid, terminally ill or ambulatory patients, but other options of working include social service agencies and nursing care facilities. The services in the home health care sector are regulated by the government at the local and the federal levels, depending on the type of service given to the clients, like social services, medical and non medical services. The earnings as a home health nurse ranges from $6 to $15 per hour. As a home health nurse the professional has the option to decide on the number of patients he or she can take care of, in order to maximize income and comfort level. These nurses have control on the hours of work they put in. Thus, home health nursing is a well paid job for friendly and skilled nurses.
Many senior citizens are now choosing to stay at home for their health care needs and enjoy the benefits of their health insurance plans and policies. This ensures that the job market for home health nurses will continue to be on the rise, thus making home health nursing a popular career choice for nurses. Apart from the money, the reward of enabling an elderly person to enjoy good health is even more satisfying.
