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Home health nurse vs visiting nurse

The differences between home health nurses and visiting 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 visiting nurse. Additionally, a home health nurse has an average salary of $69,393, which is higher than the $66,671 average annual salary of a visiting nurse.

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

Home health nurse vs visiting nurse overview

Home Health NurseVisiting Nurse
Yearly salary$69,393$66,671
Hourly rate$33.36$32.05
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs687,941387,797
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
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 visiting nurse do?

A visiting nurse is responsible for providing quality health care services for the patients in health care institutions, community centers, or private household setting. Visiting nurses assist the patients in their daily activities, administer medications, update their medical charts, and inform the family and attending physicians for the health progress reports. They also support in doing medical procedures, such as taking temperatures and vital signs, collecting specimens for laboratory examinations, and guide the patients on their therapy sessions.

Home health nurse vs visiting nurse salary

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

Home Health NurseVisiting Nurse
Average salary$69,393$66,671
Salary rangeBetween $48,000 And $99,000Between $46,000 And $95,000
Highest paying CityPetaluma, CA-
Highest paying stateCalifornia-
Best paying companySenior Living Properties-
Best paying industryHealth Care-

Differences between home health nurse and visiting nurse education

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

Home Health NurseVisiting Nurse
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Home health nurse vs visiting nurse demographics

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

Home Health NurseVisiting Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 10.6% Female, 89.4%Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5%
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, 10.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between home health nurse and visiting 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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Visiting nurse example responsibilities.

  • Provide care and manage gastrostomy, colostomy, and tracheostomy.
  • Consult and teach HHA the best ways of achieving goals direct to improvement of functional status of patient and safety.
  • Assist with obtaining proper DME and permanent services which permit patients to safely manage their medical treatment from their own home.
  • Case management of Medicare and manage care patients, including coordination of services, obtaining insurance authorization, interdisciplinary communication.
  • Complete CPI training to physically restrain patients.
  • Assess clients for eligibility for preventive TB therapy and administer tuberculosis medication.
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Home health nurse vs visiting nurse skills

Common home health nurse skills
  • Home Health, 31%
  • Patients, 20%
  • Quality Care, 5%
  • Rehabilitation, 4%
  • Physician Orders, 4%
  • Infection Control, 3%
Common visiting nurse skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Home Health, 23%
  • Acute Care, 5%
  • HomeCare, 4%
  • Wound Care, 3%
  • Per Diem, 3%

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