A home health nurse is a strong alternative to consider if you have a passion for healthcare but do not desire standard clinical settings. As a home healthcare nurse, you get an opportunity to create a better quality of life for your patients.
Apart from the standard nursing qualifications, you need other skills to succeed at being a home nurse. The skills described here are essential to respond positively to challenging situations that may arise while delivering your healthcare duties. These skills help develop trust with your patients and their family members.
Empathy
As a home health nurse, you will have to care for patients with a range of medical needs. From patients recovering from surgery to people with chronic diseases or mobility issues, the needs are varied. Patients can be demanding and difficult to handle.
A home health nurse must be competent in dealing with demanding patients and their medical problems. You can become overwhelmed when you encounter difficult patients and complex medical problems daily.
A deep sense of empathy is crucial to understand your patients’ perspective and deliver efficient care. Empathy also helps understand the concerns of the patient’s family without dismissing or alienating them.
Communication
As a home health care nurse, you visit patients at their preferred locations, most often their homes, to deliver care. You become the core liaison between the patient and his/ her family.
You need to be a great communicator, conveying key medical advice to patients and getting them to talk to you. Keen listening ability is also key to understanding your patients and their concerns.
Good oral communication enables you to strike up conversations with patients and build your relationship with them. This skill is also important in educating patients and families about treatments and other medical aspects.
Apart from oral communication, you need to be great at written communication to express yourself to patients and supervisors.
Capable communication also includes the ability to grasp a patient’s body language and understand the underlying messages. This ability enables you to understand a patient’s unspoken fears and anxieties. Addressing these concerns improves the patient-nurse relationship and smoothens the road to recovery.
Organization and Preparedness
Being exceptionally organized prepares you for consistent success as a home health care nurse. Organizational skills are key to maintaining accurate medical records and administering medication and other treatment aspects according to schedule.
As a nurse, you also have to be professionally organized to support your own career and maintain your reputation.
Why not consider basing your home healthcare career in Michigan? This state is known for its extraordinary landscapes, riveting history, and progressive culture.
If you are practicing in Michigan, the best way to be professionally organized is to own Michigan health care insurance. By choosing comprehensive insurance, you can check coverage in any city in the state. Know more here.
Physical Strength
As part of care duties, you may be required to assist the patient in moving from one place to another. Lifting the patient onto a chair, or assisting them to sit or stand, may also be required.
You may have to take upon light housekeeping duties such as meal preparations. Performing errands, such as shopping or accompanying the patient on a doctor’s visit, may also be essential.
These duties demand excellent physical health and fitness.
Task Prioritization Ability
As a home health care nurse, you will have to handle a range of tasks for your patients. From keeping track of patient medication to handling their reports, medical visits, and changing instructions from doctors, you need to be alert to evolving needs. Task accomplishment becomes more complex when you are delivering care to multiple patients. Prioritizing your tasks is key to success.
Flexibility
Being a home health care nurse means being willing to face uncertainty on a daily basis. You may have to face challenging situations at the patient’s home. From hostile family members to sudden complications in patient health, things can go awry anytime.
As an individual healthcare professional, you do not have the luxury of relying on a team to handle things for you. It is, therefore, important to be flexible in your mindset and be prepared to meet any challenge.
A flexible approach makes it easier for you to manage difficult patients and family members. You can handle complex or emergency situations better with a clear mind.
Medical and Technical Knowledge
A home health nurse requires medical education and training. Continuing education to maintain the nursing license keeps nurses up-to-date with medical developments.
Nurses are trained to use common devices such as thermometers, blood pressure gauging machines, and oxygen monitors. You are also trained in common tasks such as monitoring patients’ vital signs, measuring body temperature, and wound dressing.
You are expected to keep updating your skills to give the best patient care while on the job. Up-to-date knowledge of medications and medical terminologies is a must.
Technical skills are a great plus as they help you perform your duties more efficiently. Being tech-savvy helps you grasp the working and use of applications such as billing and patient management software. Apps for scheduling tasks help you prioritize better and manage time efficiently. Driving is another key technical skill as it can help you perform errands for your patients.
Decision-making Ability
Home health care nurses mostly work on their own though physician supervision is involved. The job demands decision-making on a range of issues concerned with the patient, from simple to complex and sometimes even emergencies. Aspirants must be prepared to make calculated decisions with speed and agility.
Conclusion
Home health care nursing is a rewarding profession as it enables you to create a positive change in your patient’s life. In addition to requisite education, equipping yourself with the above skills enables you to create a successful career faster.
