What is a home care nurse and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Lisa Rebeschi Ph.D.,

Kim Raines

A home care nurse provides medical care to individuals in their homes. They work with patients, their families, and healthcare professionals to develop care plans that meet the patient's needs. Home care nurses administer medication, monitor vital signs, dress wounds, and provide education on disease management. They also offer emotional support to patients and their families, helping them navigate illnesses or disabilities. Home care nurses help patients receive high-quality medical care in their own homes.

What general advice would you give to a home care nurse?

Lisa Rebeschi Ph.D.

Associate Dean of the School of Nursing Professor of Nursing, Quinnipiac University

One of the suggestions for new graduates is the importance of self-care. We have long known of the demanding nature of the nursing practice. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the nursing role's critical importance and the unique contributions made by nursing professionals. As the healthcare environment is extremely complex and challenging, nurses must remember to advocate for themselves and prioritize self-care.

ScoreHome Care NurseUS Average

Salary

4.2

Avg. Salary $53,762

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%

Asian 8.94%

Black or African American 11.01%

Hispanic or Latino 9.42%

Unknown 4.29%

White 65.90%

Gender

female 86.54%

male 13.46%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.1

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a home care nurse?

Pros

Work in a variety of settings
High demand for home care nurses
Competitive pay and benefits
Opportunity for professional growth and advancement
Ability to work independently

Cons

Risk of injury from lifting or transferring patients
Exposure to infectious diseases
Need to be available for on-call shifts
High level of responsibility for patient care
Emotional toll from caring for terminally ill patients

Key steps to become a home care nurse

Explore home care nurse education requirements

Most common home care nurse degrees

Bachelor's

35.2 %

Associate

31.4 %

High School Diploma

10.9 %

Start to develop specific home care nurse skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	25.10%
Home Health	17.69%
CPR	7.97%
Companionship	7.56%
Social Work	2.94%

Complete relevant home care nurse training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New home care nurses learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a home care nurse based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real home care nurse resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed home care nurse usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed home care nurse in most of states. 43 states require home care nurses to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Alabama	Degree required	State exam required	Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
Alaska	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Nurse, Licensed Practical
Arkansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
California	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Licensed Vocational Nurse
Colorado	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Licensed Practical Nurse

Gain additional home care nurse certifications

Home care nurse certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific home care nurse certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for home care nurses include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.

More About Certifications

Research home care nurse duties and responsibilities

Manage patient care monitoring vital signs, performing physical assessment, checking patients medications for effectiveness.
Enter the nursing profession working in an ICU step down unit, with medical and surgical patients.
Care for many patients with complex issues with compassion and care and enhances the standard of care within the clinical area.
Provide care for pediatric patients with chronic illnesses and pediatric ventilator and tracheostomy patients.

Prepare your home care nurse resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your home care nurse resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a home care nurse resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable home care nurse resume templates

Build a professional home care nurse resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your home care nurse resume.