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Visiting nurse vs home care nurse

The differences between visiting nurses and home care 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 visiting nurse and a home care nurse. Additionally, a visiting nurse has an average salary of $66,671, which is higher than the $53,762 average annual salary of a home care nurse.

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

Visiting nurse vs home care nurse overview

Visiting NurseHome Care Nurse
Yearly salary$66,671$53,762
Hourly rate$32.05$25.85
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs387,797692,730
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

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.

What does a home care nurse do?

A home care nurse is responsible for providing quality health care for patients, usually in a private home setting. Home care nurses monitor patients' conditions and their medication and other treatments as prescribed by the attending physician or other health care professionals. They assist with the patients' daily activities such as bathing, feeding, and performing procedures such as taking the patients' temperature and vital signs, collecting specimens, and updating their medical chart.

Visiting nurse vs home care nurse salary

Visiting nurses and home care nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Visiting NurseHome Care Nurse
Average salary$66,671$53,762
Salary rangeBetween $46,000 And $95,000Between $34,000 And $84,000
Highest paying City-Eugene, OR
Highest paying state-Oregon
Best paying company-Overlake Medical Center & Clinics
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between visiting nurse and home care nurse education

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

Visiting NurseHome Care Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Visiting nurse vs home care nurse demographics

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

Visiting NurseHome Care Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 15.5% Female, 84.5%Male, 13.5% Female, 86.5%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between visiting nurse and home care nurse duties and responsibilities

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 care nurse example 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.
  • Provide home dialysis services to patients receiving rehabilitation in a nursing home setting utilizing NxStage machines.
  • Monitor cardiac rhythms and treat per ACLS protocols
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Visiting nurse vs home care nurse skills

Common visiting nurse skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Home Health, 23%
  • Acute Care, 5%
  • HomeCare, 4%
  • Wound Care, 3%
  • Per Diem, 3%
Common home care nurse skills
  • Patients, 25%
  • Home Health, 18%
  • CPR, 8%
  • Companionship, 8%
  • Social Work, 3%
  • Primary Care, 3%

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