---
title: How to Become a Home Health Nurse and What to Expect
url: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/how-to-become-a-home-health-nurse-and-what-to-expect/"
type: post
date_published: 2024-11-06
date_modified: 2026-04-30
schema:
  @type: Article
language: en-US
word_count: 1275
reading_time: 7 min
canonical: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/how-to-become-a-home-health-nurse-and-what-to-expect/"
featured_image: "https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/home-nurse-2.webp"
categories:
  - Newsroom
---

# How to Become a Home Health Nurse and What to Expect

[**Care.com**](https://www.care.com/c/how-to-become-home-health-nurse/), October
23rd, 2024
Written by Nicole Fabian-Weber

_November is Home Heath Month, and many nurses are entering this growing field. Wondering how to become a home health nurse? Yuko Bautista, associate professor at [Arizona College of Nursing,](https://www.arizonacollege.edu/) along with other experts share how to take your career down this track, while also adding insight as to what you can expect from this important role. _

---

For nurses who don’t — or no longer — want to work in a hospital or medical
office setting, there’s home health care nursing to consider. While the required
degrees and licensures are essentially the same (more on this shortly), the
daily work or home health nurses, as well as the preferred experience, differs
quite a bit from more traditional nurse settings.

“Home health nurses offer at-home care to newborns, children and adults, as well
as individuals needing end-of-life care,” explains Yuko Bautista, a registered
nurse and associate professor at
[Arizona College of Nursing](https://www.arizonacollege.edu/). “They also
provide hands-on care to individuals who may be homebound or unable to leave
their homes for various reasons and are typically the liaison between the
patient and physician.”

Wondering how to become a home health nurse? Here, Bautista and other experts
share how to take your career down this track, along with insight as to what you
can expect from this important role.

## What is a home health nurse?

A home health nurse is a licensed nurse who provides care for a person inside
their home. They offer care to folks of all different ages for both acute and
chronic issues.

“This type of nursing is designed to help individuals who need ongoing medical
care but prefer to stay in a familiar environment rather than being hospitalized
or staying in long-term care facilities,” explains Dawna Cato, a registered
nurse and director of nurse residency programs at
[OpusVi](https://opusvi.com/who-we-serve/nursing).

The care can be ordered by a physician or it can be obtained directly by a
person who hires a nurse privately, adds Jasmine Bhatti, a registered nurse and
the founder and CEO of [Navi Nurses](https://navinurses.com/), a private duty
nursing company that specializes in home nursing care in Phoenix.

![home nurse 2](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/home-nurse-2.webp)

## Home health nurse duties

The duties of home health nurses vary depending on the patient and degree scope,
but here are possible daily duties, per Bautista, Bhatti and Cato:

1.  Continuous assessment of the client’s care needs/track changes.
2.  Intravenous therapy for antibiotic administration.
3.  Care/management of PICC lines and ports.
4.  Wound care, including negative pressure therapy (wound vac).
5.  Care/management of indwelling catheters.
6.  Physical assessments.
7.  Collection of vital signs, such as blood pressure and heartbeats per minute.
8.  Diabetes care/management.
9.  Communication with the patient’s care team.
10. Care/management of issues such as hypertension, congestive heart failure and
    renal disease.
11. [Hospice care](https://www.care.com/c/what-is-hospice-care/).
12. Medication administration as prescribed by the physician.
13. Immunization administration.
14. Data entry into computer systems.
15. Patient and family education on release instructions.
16. Observation of patient reactions to medications.
17. Observation of patient mental health status.
18. Assistance with daily needs such as bathing and dressing.
19. Monitoring fluid/food intake and output.
20. Safe patient moves and transfers.

Another thing to keep in mind, Bhatti notes, is that duties can vary based on
the patient’s insurance status.

“If the duties are covered by insurance, the care that is provided is outlined
by the order from the physician prescribing it,” she explains. “This means if a
patient has insurance covering home health nursing care because of, for example,
a wound, the primary responsibility is to provide wound care and address issues
that may impact it.”

If a patient hires a home health nurse independent of insurance, **“**the nurse
can provide any service that falls within their scope of practice,” notes
Bhatti. “This can include advocacy, care coordination, assessments, wound care,
medication administration and more.”

---

## What education is required to become a home health nurse?

In order to become a home health nurse, you need to complete one of the
following educational requirements:

- **Licensed practical nurse (LPN).** LPNs usually complete a practical nursing
  program that’s 1-2 years.
- **Licensed vocational nurse (LVP – California and Texas)**. This program is
  typically about one year.
- **Registered nurse (RN).** RNs typically need either an associate degree in
  Nursing (2-3 years) and a bachelor of science in nursing (four years).

“Individual state practice acts require that the LPN/LVN must work under the
supervision of a registered nurse, advanced practice nurse or physician,” notes
Cato, adding: “Registered nurses (RNs) can also become board certified as a Home
Health Nursing Certification (RN-BC) through the American Nurses Credentialing
Center (ANCC).”

To that point, Cato continues, LVNs/LPNs cannot perform the initial
comprehensive assessment, as this is strictly an RN duty.

“While LPNs are valuable in home health, their ability to assess is typically
restricted to focused, task-specific assessments,” she says. “Comprehensive
initial assessments, ongoing evaluations that inform changes to care plans and
any form of diagnostic assessment remain the responsibility of an RN or
higher-level practitioner.”

“LPNs gather data, provide essential care and collaborate with RNs and other
healthcare professionals to ensure the patient’s needs are met,” she says.

---

## Home health nurse requirements

In addition to their degree, home health nurses need to earn their nursing
license by passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN for RNs,
NCLEX-PN for LPNs).

Additional trainings and certifications may be:

- **Clinical experience. **“Most home health agencies prefer nurses with at
  least one to two years of clinical experience, often in medical-surgical
  nursing or critical care,” Bhatti explains.
- **Specialized training. **Some nurses pursue additional certifications in
  areas like pediatrics, wound care or infusion therapy.
- **Home Healthcare Nursing Certification. **This isn’t a requirement, but it’s
  offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center for nurses wanting extra
  certification, says Bhatti.
- **Continuing education. **“Ongoing education is typically required to maintain
  licensure and stay current with best practices,” notes Bhatti, “but doesn’t
  have to be specific for home health.”

---

## How much do home health nurses make

According to the 
[U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm)
, the median annual salary for registered nurses is $86,070. Nurses in home
health care settings have the third highest level of employment in the nursing
industry, behind folks working in hospitals and doctors’ offices.

## How to become a home health nurse

While the right degree and proper licensure is required to become a home health
nurse, experience is key in this field — particularly since home health nurses
are, essentially, alone.

“Home health nursing offers a unique and intimate perspective on patient care,
as it involves providing medical services in a patient’s home,” Cato says.
“Nurses should have one to two years of experience prior to working in a home
health setting. Nurses must practice autonomously and have strong communication
and critical thinking skills.”

“New nurses starting out, no matter where, still have a lot of learning to do,
and this comes from shared experiences from other nurses who help guide them,”
notes Bhatti.

## The bottom line

Home health nursing is a rewarding field that comes with a number of benefits,
according to Cato, including close relationships with patients, autonomy and
flexibility and a relatively stable field. However, experience is important in
this arena, so gaining time in a hospital or doctor’s office setting is
advisable before heading down this path.

**Categories:** Newsroom