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Home health nurse vs registered health nurse

The differences between home health nurses and registered health nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a home health nurse and a registered health nurse. Additionally, a registered health nurse has an average salary of $75,713, which is higher than the $69,393 average annual salary of a home health nurse.

The top three skills for a home health nurse include home health, patients and quality care. The most important skills for a registered health nurse are patients, home health, and CPR.

Home health nurse vs registered health nurse overview

Home Health NurseRegistered Health Nurse
Yearly salary$69,393$75,713
Hourly rate$33.36$36.40
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs687,941538,508
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

What does a home health nurse do?

A home health nurse is responsible for assisting patients usually in their households, strictly monitoring their health conditions and treatment plans for fast recovery. Home health nurses work with the patients' attending physicians and other health professionals to develop healthcare plans and administer timely medications. They update the patient's chart regularly, record temperature and vital signs, manage food intake, and respond to the patients' inquiries and requests. A home health nurse must have strong organizational and time-management skills to perform various nursing duties under certain conditions.

What does a registered health nurse do?

Registered health nurses work in collaboration with other health care professionals. They provide direct patient care, assess and record symptoms, progress, and reactions, all of which provides the source for care planning and intervention. They also manage nursing care plans, instruct patients and their families in the right care, and aid individuals and groups to improve or maintain their good health. It also requires a large base of knowledge and experience in order to assess, plan, and give intervention to promote health, avoid disease, and help patients cope with ailments.

Home health nurse vs registered health nurse salary

Home health nurses and registered health nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Home Health NurseRegistered Health Nurse
Average salary$69,393$75,713
Salary rangeBetween $48,000 And $99,000Between $50,000 And $112,000
Highest paying CityPetaluma, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaRhode Island
Best paying companySenior Living PropertiesBaptist Health Care
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between home health nurse and registered health nurse education

There are a few differences between a home health nurse and a registered health nurse in terms of educational background:

Home Health NurseRegistered Health Nurse
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Home health nurse vs registered health nurse demographics

Here are the differences between home health nurses' and registered health nurses' demographics:

Home Health NurseRegistered Health Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 10.6% Female, 89.4%Male, 11.1% Female, 88.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between home health nurse and registered health nurse duties and responsibilities

Home health nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage an Alzheimer patient daily care including bathing, feeding and administer any medication.
  • Instruct patients and relatives regarding techniques used in managing vascular access devices aim at facilitating client independence.
  • Field NurseProvide care for patients discharge from hospital, skil care facility rehabilitation facility and referral from physician's office.
  • Administer IM meds such as monthly B12
  • Maintain and assess patient for daily MDS.
  • Care of ventilator and TPN in home private duty
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Registered health nurse example responsibilities.

  • Operate specialize equipment such as cardiac monitor, EKG, DEA, managing nasal pharyngeal and gastric suction.
  • Manage ventilator settings and complete tracheostomy care on chronically ill patients.
  • Manage patient care monitoring vital signs, performing physical assessment, checking patients medications for effectiveness.
  • Participate in manage care activities to produce health change, specifically providing diabetes education and lifestyle counseling in chronic disease areas.
  • Deliver a complete range of care to general Medicare, Medicaid home care patient's.
  • Obtain knowledge of medical diagnostic and billing codes used for private insurance, Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements.
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Home health nurse vs registered health nurse skills

Common home health nurse skills
  • Home Health, 31%
  • Patients, 20%
  • Quality Care, 5%
  • Rehabilitation, 4%
  • Physician Orders, 4%
  • Infection Control, 3%
Common registered health nurse skills
  • Patients, 24%
  • Home Health, 23%
  • CPR, 8%
  • Quality Care, 4%
  • Mental Health, 3%
  • Compassion, 3%

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