Home Care & Health Nursing Salaries

How Long to Become: 2-4 years

Average Annual Salary: $93,600

Job Outlook (2024-2034): 5% growth for all RNs

ADN or BSN required. Certification optional.

What a Home Health Nurse Does

Home health nurses deliver clinical care in patients' homes under the supervision of a physician or nurse practitioner. Most care for older adults with disabilities or provide hospice and palliative care, but they also serve patients recently discharged from the hospital who still need treatment.

The core responsibilities are treating wounds and injuries, administering treatments, and monitoring vital signs and running tests. The work rewards empathy, strong communication, collaboration, and flexibility, since you are often the only clinician in the room.

Where Home Health Nurses Work

The care happens in patients' homes, but nurses operate out of several settings.

In hospice and homecare, you administer medications, treat wounds and injuries, educate family caregivers, and keep the patient comfortable. In community facilities, you administer medications, run tests, and coordinate care with other agencies. Working out of hospitals, you treat patients recovering from surgery who no longer need inpatient care, administer medications, monitor and report vital signs, and run tests.

Why Become a Home Health Nurse

You help patients recover at home instead of a hospital, and you get to know them more personally than a floor nurse ever could. Pay sits above the national average, like most RN roles, and scheduling tends to be more flexible. Home hospice work carries real emotional weight, both the reward and the cost.

The downsides are real too. Some homes and families are unwelcoming. You travel constantly, work largely on your own, and have fewer medical resources at hand if a patient takes a turn.

How to Become a Home Health Nurse

Earn an ADN or a BSN. The ADN takes two years and the BSN takes four, but most home health jobs treat the BSN as the path to advancement.

Pass the NCLEX-RN for licensure. The exam runs up to five hours and covers medicine, nursing practice, psychology and communication, and the legal and ethical sides of nursing.

Gain experience. Most home health jobs want at least two to three years of medical-surgical or critical care nursing, because the work demands a high level of independence.

Consider certification. It is not required, and the home health nurse board certification is now closed to new applicants and open for renewals only, but the credential still carries weight where you already hold it.

How Much Home Health Nurses Make

Home health RNs earn a median of $93,600 a year, per the BLS. Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) earn a median of $39,530, below the $49,500 median for all U.S. jobs.

Both roles stay in demand. The BLS projects nursing assistant jobs to grow 2% from 2024 to 2034 and RN jobs to grow 5%. Home-based roles may climb faster as care shifts out of hospitals and the population ages.

How Per-Visit Pay Works

Many home health nurses draw a salary, but some are paid per visit, usually through private insurers or programs like Medicaid and Medicare that set fixed fees. The first visit typically pays more, since it takes longer to handle paperwork, meet the family, and assess the patient. Overtime rules shift often, and under federal law nurses paid by visit are not eligible for overtime, though state law may differ.

Resources for Home Health Nurses

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice offers education, research, advocacy, and a job board for hospice and homecare providers at all levels. Membership is open to agencies, providers, and others, and financial managers can join its Home Care and Hospice Financial Managers Association subsidiary.

The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine provides education, job listings, resources, and networking for clinicians in hospice and palliative care, including nurses and pharmacists.

The International Home Care Nurses Organization promotes global connections among homecare nurses and shares best-practice guidelines. Free membership is open to all home healthcare nurses.

Home Healthcare Now is a journal for the specialty. Some articles are free, others require a subscription, and nurses can earn continuing education credit through CEConnection. The site also posts job listings.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to become a home health nurse? Two years for an ADN or four for a BSN, plus licensure. Most employers want two to three years of acute care or surgical experience first. CNA requirements vary by state and do not require a college degree.

Can home health nurses prescribe medication? Home health nurse practitioners and other advanced practice nurses can, including controlled substances. RNs without that additional education or certification cannot.

What are the education requirements? CNA certification requires a high school diploma or GED, a state-approved training course of at least 75 hours, and a passing score on the certification test. RNs need at least an ADN, though many jobs prefer a BSN, plus the national licensure exam.

Who do home health nurses work with? They carry out the treatment prescribed by physicians or nurse practitioners and may supervise CNAs or home health aides. They also coordinate with social workers, psychologists, counselors, and chaplains.