Definition of a Home Care Nurse

A home care nurse provides medical services where a patient lives---often in one's own home, a family member's home or in an assisted-living community. Home care nurses may specialize in different areas, including geriatrics, pediatrics and hospice care.

Education

• A home care nurse's educational level may range from being a nursing assistant, or CNA, to a registered nurse, or RN. A CNA undergoes several months of vocational training. An LPN, or licensed practical nurse, typically has one year of vocational training. An RN may have two to four years or more of nursing-focused education.

Purpose

• The home care nurse's overall duties include promoting and maintaining a patient's level of health. The nurse attempts to ease disease symptoms and restore the patient's well being. The home care nurse also provides comfort to a patient who is going through the dying process.

Duties

• Home care nurses assist with daily living activities, including bathing, toileting and feeding. LPNs or RNs may administer medications and provide simple medical treatments. Nurses also document the patient's progress in a medical chart.

Benefits

• Home health care allows the patient to be in a familiar, nonclinical setting while continuing to receive treatment. Home care allows families to stay together and avoid admission into a hospital or a skilled-care facility.

Expert Insight

• According to The Centers for Disease Control and The National Association for Home Care and Hospice, 7.6 million Americans benefit from home health care annually from 17,000 providers.