The goal of nursing is to provide patients and their families with the highest possible quality of life while they are recovering.
Although a patient’s overall health greatly benefits from the services provided by a registered nurse, you should be aware that finding and hiring a nurse to handle your home care needs is not always simple.
Here, we’ll answer the most frequently asked questions so you can rest easy knowing you’re getting the right care. The only guide you need to hire a nurse to work in your home is this one.
Do You Need a Home Care Nurse?
What is the difference between a private nurse and a caregiver? In short, caregivers assist with daily personal needs while nurses tend to medical needs.
Although they can remind patients to take their medications, caregivers cannot manage medication regimens or administer medications. Caregivers will assist with personal care and may help with light housework like preparing meals or keeping the patient’s area tidy and clean. Although some families might employ a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) to assist with more complex personal needs, caregivers are typically not licensed.
A nurse will assist with managing medications, giving injections, keeping track of vital signs, dressing wounds, and managing more complex medical procedures like trach-vent, g-tubes, etc.
How to Hire a Nurse for Home Care?
Follow these two steps to focus your search for a home care health nurse that meets your needs, whether you are recovering from surgery or managing an illness.
Determine Your Demands
Make a decision regarding the level of care you require and whether you want a full- or part-time employee before you start your nurse recruitment process.
If your doctor has given you a recovery plan, carefully go over it so you know what kind of care is necessary and how frequently it should be given.
A home health nurse can be hired for routine tasks like bathing and dressing as well as more specialized ones like changing bandages for wounds.
Once you know what type of nursing services are necessary, make a list of all potential requirements so that you can reference them while doing inquiry calls with nursing service firms.
Find the Right Home Care Nursing Service Firm
Concerning the medical care they offer, ask the nursing service company specific questions. You have the option of doing this in person or by phone.
The specifics of their education, work history, and capacity to carry out the duties assigned to them while on duty should all be thoroughly questioned.
Identify Registered Nurses
The term registered nurse originated from the nurse registries that were historically kept by the licensing body of the local or federal government.
Florence Nightingale favored that nurses maintain their autonomy and opposed national registries that mandated that they work under physicians at the time.
In the modern world, nurse registries are businesses that give nurses the freedom to work independently as independent contractors or in private duty for patients at home (often referred to as private duty).
Because nurse registries go to great lengths to thoroughly screen nurses and carefully match them with the appropriate clients, they are sometimes referred to as agencies or concierge nursing.
What happened to the earlier nurse license lists, then? In California, for instance, anyone can determine whether a nurse’s license is current by simply browsing the online DCA records. In cooperation with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), Nursys offers verification services that are used by other states, including Florida.
The Benefits to Hire a Nurse for Home Care
Convenience and Comfort-Home nursing care is an ideal option for people who just want to be at home after surgery or injury. They will be able to maintain the lifestyle they adore while getting the medical attention they require and deserve.
Familiar Environment-What is that one thing that makes a person feel better when they are ill or injured? being near family and friends! Nothing compares to being at home with the people you love and who are there to support you.
People frequently want to be around the people who help them feel better when they are recovering from an illness or injury, and home care nursing services make this possible. Recovery time may be sped up by being in a comfortable setting with supportive family and friends.
Medication Management-The elderly typically require a number of medications on a daily basis to maintain their health. There are typically different medications for various medical conditions. In this situation, a nurse can manage the patients’ medications better so they don’t forget to take any.
Bonding with Your Family-The fact that a lot of bonding takes place at home is one of the primary benefits of home care nursing. You get to spend time with your family and other loved ones. You get to see them every day and share their day-to-day activities. This is something really special as you will not be able to do this if you are admitted to a hospital.
Better Care-Home care nursing services are superior to hospital admission when it comes to the right kind of care. The nurses are more attentive as they are not juggling between patients. They’ll be in a better position to look after you.
Sense of Independence-You can keep your independence by using home care nursing services. Living your life as you choose while receiving the help you require is crucial, especially when recovering from an illness or injury.
Affordable-Home care nursing services are much more affordable than hospital admission. People prefer this over the latter because of this.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Private Nurse?
Private nurses are qualified, credentialed healthcare professionals with experience in giving medical care to patients. This includes home nursing care procedures like administering medication, changing feeding tubes and urinary catheters, removing staples/stitches, wound dressing and monitoring the general health condition of patients. Unlike live-in caretakers, private nurses typically only provide care on an hourly, half-day or full-day basis during “normal” workday hours (i.e. between 8 am and 6pm).
The cost of hiring a private nurse primarily depends on how much elderly care support they need (i.e. hourly, half-day or full-day) and whether they qualify for any government-funded subsidies, which can reduce the cost substantially.
Although the cost of hiring a private nurse varies by agency, the average cost typically ranges from about $25+ an hour at the highest subsidized rate to $125+ an hour at the unsubsidized rate, as is the case with NTUC Health’s rates for home nursing care. However, this rate is only for “normal” working hours from 8 am to 6 pm. The rate for “after-hours” or night shift care can easily double from $50+ an hour at the highest subsidized rate to $230+ an hour at the unsubsidized rate.
Conclusion
A home care health nurse is the best option if you need assistance with daily tasks, are recovering from an illness, or are about to be released from the hospital. The ability to care for your loved ones in the convenience of your own home is the most significant benefit of home care nurse services. They are very comfortable and can also help you save money.
