A home health nurse is a registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN) who provides skilled medical care to patients in their own homes. Home health nurses manage wounds, medications, IV therapy, chronic diseases and recovery after hospital stays, and they teach patients and families how to stay safely at home. Instead of a hospital unit, their "floor" is a map of patients' houses, apartments and assisted living communities, and their supply closet is the trunk of their car.
This guide covers what home health nurses do, home health vs private duty and hospice, OASIS assessments, Medicare homebound rules, how to become a home health nurse, salary, what goes in a home health nurse bag, the pros and cons and how to celebrate the nurses who bring care home.
In this guide
- What is a home health nurse?
- What does a home health nurse do?
- Home health vs private duty vs hospice nursing
- Who qualifies for home health? (homebound status)
- What is an OASIS assessment?
- Home health RN vs home health LPN
- How to become a home health nurse
- How much do home health nurses make?
- What is in a home health nurse bag?
- Pros and cons of home health nursing
- A short history of home health nursing
- Celebrating home health nurses
- Home health nurse humor
- Frequently asked questions
What is a home health nurse?
Home health nurses work for home health agencies, providing skilled nursing visits to patients who need medical care but are well enough to be at home. You may also hear the terms home care nurse, home health care nurse and visiting nurse.
Common home health patients include people recovering from surgery, heart failure or a stroke, older adults managing several chronic conditions, patients with complex wounds or IV antibiotics, new diabetics learning insulin and children with medical needs who are cared for at home.
What does a home health nurse do?
Home health nurse duties usually include:
- Admissions and assessments: completing a full head-to-toe assessment, a home safety check and a medication review at the first visit
- Wound care: treating surgical wounds, pressure injuries and diabetic ulcers, often including wound vacs
- Medication management: organizing pill boxes, catching dangerous interactions and teaching patients about new prescriptions
- IV therapy: giving IV antibiotics and fluids and caring for PICC lines and ports
- Chronic disease teaching: helping patients manage heart failure, COPD and diabetes so they stay out of the hospital
- Lab draws and monitoring: drawing blood, checking vital signs and reporting changes to the patient's physician
- Care coordination: working with physical and occupational therapists, social workers, home health aides and the patient's doctor
- Documentation: charting each visit on a laptop or tablet, including OASIS assessments for Medicare patients
A home health nurse might see four to six patients a day, driving between visits. Many work as case managers who oversee a group of patients' plans of care.
Home health vs private duty vs hospice nursing
These three types of in-home nursing are easy to mix up:
| Home health nurse | Private duty nurse | Hospice nurse | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | Help patients recover or manage conditions and stay independent | Provide ongoing, hands-on care for patients with long-term needs | Comfort and quality of life at the end of life |
| Visit style | Short, intermittent visits (usually under an hour) | Long shifts, often 8 to 12 hours, with one patient | Regular visits plus on-call support 24/7 |
| Common patients | Post-hospital recovery, wounds, chronic disease | Children or adults with trachs, ventilators or feeding tubes | Terminal illness |
| Usually paid by | Medicare, Medicaid and insurance | Medicaid waivers, private insurance or private pay | Medicare hospice benefit and insurance |
Pediatric home health nurses and private duty nurses often care for medically complex children at home, sometimes for years (see our pediatric nurse guide). To learn more about end-of-life care at home, read our complete guide to hospice nurses and explore our hospice collection.
Who qualifies for home health? (homebound status)
For Medicare to cover home health care, a patient generally must:
- Be under the care of a doctor (or allowed practitioner) with a plan of care that is reviewed regularly
- Need intermittent skilled nursing care or physical, speech or occupational therapy
- Be certified as homebound, meaning leaving home takes a considerable and taxing effort, often requiring help, a device like a walker or wheelchair, or special transportation
- Have a face-to-face visit with a provider related to the reason for home health
- Receive care from a Medicare-certified home health agency
Being homebound does not mean a patient can never leave the house. Medicare allows short, infrequent absences, like medical appointments, religious services or adult day care. Home health nurses document homebound status carefully at every visit.
What is an OASIS assessment?
OASIS (Outcome and Assessment Information Set) is a standardized assessment required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for adult Medicare and Medicaid patients of Medicare-certified home health agencies. Nurses and therapists complete OASIS at key points, including the start of care, resumption of care after a hospital stay, recertification and discharge.
OASIS data is used to measure patient outcomes, compare agency quality and determine payment, so accuracy matters a lot. Many home health nurses earn an OASIS certification, such as the COS-C, to show expertise in completing OASIS correctly.
Home health RN vs home health LPN
- Home health RNs complete admissions, OASIS assessments, care plans and case management, and handle more complex skills like IV therapy.
- Home health LPNs provide many routine skilled visits, such as wound care, medication teaching and vital signs, under the plan of care created by the RN. Their exact scope depends on state law.
Both roles are in demand, and home health is one of the most common settings for LPNs outside of long-term care.
How to become a home health nurse
- Earn a nursing license. Complete an LPN program (about one year) or an RN program (an ADN in about two years or a BSN in about four) and pass the NCLEX.
- Get clinical experience. Most agencies want at least one year of hospital or skilled nursing experience, often in med-surg, because home health nurses work alone and need strong assessment skills.
- Have a reliable car and a clean driving record. Most home health nurses drive to every visit, and many agencies pay mileage.
- Complete agency orientation, including OASIS training, documentation software and safety procedures.
- Consider certifications in OASIS, wound care or infusion therapy to advance.
How much do home health nurses make?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish a separate salary for home health nurses. The median annual wage for registered nurses was $97,550 in May 2025, according to the BLS. BLS notes that home health care services are one of the settings where RNs work, and LPN pay is lower than RN pay.
Home health pay is structured differently from hospital pay. Nurses may be paid:
- Per visit: a set amount for each visit, with higher rates for admissions and OASIS visits
- Salary: common for case managers with a set patient load
- Hourly: common for LPNs and private duty nurses
- Plus mileage and on-call pay: many agencies reimburse driving and pay extra for after-hours call
What is in a home health nurse bag?
A home health nurse's bag is a portable clinic. Most carry:
- Blood pressure cuff, stethoscope, thermometer, pulse oximeter and scale (or access to the patient's)
- Glucometer and supplies
- Gloves, masks, hand sanitizer and a disposable barrier for setting the bag down
- Wound care supplies, measuring guides and tape
- Lab draw supplies, tubes and a sharps container
- A laptop or tablet for documentation
- Patient education handouts
Home health nurses follow "bag technique," an infection control practice that includes placing the bag on a clean barrier, keeping clean and dirty items separate and performing hand hygiene before reaching inside.
Pros and cons of home health nursing
Pros
- Independence: you manage your own day, route and schedule.
- One-on-one care: you give each patient your full attention.
- Relationships: you get to know patients and families over weeks or months.
- Flexibility: many home health jobs offer weekday daytime hours, and per-visit roles can be very flexible.
- Seeing the whole picture: being in the home shows you what is really going on with a patient's health.
Cons
- Documentation: OASIS and visit notes can mean evening charting.
- Driving: long drives, weather and traffic are part of the job.
- Working alone: there is no team down the hall, so strong clinical judgment is a must.
- Unpredictable homes: nurses encounter pets, clutter, safety concerns and every kind of living situation.
- On-call: many agencies rotate after-hours and weekend call.
A short history of home health nursing
- 1880s: the first visiting nurse associations in the United States form in cities like Buffalo, Boston and Philadelphia, sending nurses to care for the sick poor in their homes.
- 1893: Lillian Wald and Mary Brewster found the Henry Street Settlement in New York City, where nurses visited families in their tenement homes. Wald is credited with coining the term "public health nurse."
- 1965: Medicare is created and includes a home health benefit, which leads to rapid growth of home health agencies across the country.
- Today: home health is one of the fastest-growing areas of health care as more patients recover and age at home.
Celebrating home health nurses
November is National Home Care and Hospice Month, and it is the most popular time to celebrate home health nurses, aides and therapists. National Nurses Week in May is another great time to say thank you.
Ideas for home health agencies
- Give gas gift cards or car care kits. Home health nurses drive a lot.
- Host a breakfast or lunch at the office during team meetings.
- Share patient thank-you notes (with permission) in a newsletter.
- Sponsor OASIS, wound care or infusion certifications.
Gifts for home health nurses
A throwback design for visiting nurses who bring care to every doorstep. $29.99
Shop now →
For the coffee that fuels the drive between visits and the OASIS charting after. $15.99
Shop now →
A detailed mandala design for home care RNs and visiting nurses. $29.99
Shop now →Home health nurse humor
- "My office has four wheels and a drive-thru." (Also a Care on Wheels sticker.)
- "My car is a mobile supply closet." (We made that a sticker too.)
- "I've been bitten by more chihuahuas than I can count."
- "Yes, I'd love a cup of coffee. No, I can't stay for lunch. Okay, maybe one cookie."
- "Homebound, but somehow made it to the casino on Saturday."
- "GPS: 'You have arrived.' Me, staring at a cornfield: 'Have I?'"
Frequently asked questions
What does a home health nurse do?
Home health nurses provide skilled nursing care in patients' homes, including assessments, wound care, medication management, IV therapy, lab draws and teaching patients and families how to manage their health at home.
What is the difference between home health and private duty nursing?
Home health nurses make short, intermittent visits to help patients recover or manage conditions, usually covered by Medicare or insurance. Private duty nurses provide long shifts of continuous care, often 8 to 12 hours, for patients with ongoing complex needs.
What does homebound mean for home health?
For Medicare, homebound means leaving home requires a considerable and taxing effort, often with help, a device or special transportation. Patients can still leave for medical appointments and short, infrequent outings like religious services.
What is an OASIS assessment?
OASIS (Outcome and Assessment Information Set) is a standardized assessment required by CMS for adult Medicare and Medicaid patients of Medicare-certified home health agencies. It is completed at start of care, resumption of care, recertification and discharge.
Can LPNs work in home health?
Yes. Home health LPNs provide many skilled visits, such as wound care and medication teaching, under the plan of care established by an RN. Their scope depends on state law.
How much do home health nurses make?
BLS does not report home health nurse pay separately. Registered nurses overall earned a median of $97,550 in May 2025. Home health nurses may be paid per visit, salary or hourly, often with mileage reimbursement and on-call pay.
Can new grads work in home health?
Some agencies hire new graduates with extended orientation, but most prefer at least one year of hospital or skilled nursing experience because home health nurses work independently.
When is National Home Care Month?
November is National Home Care and Hospice Month, a time to recognize home health and hospice nurses, aides and therapists.
Exploring other specialties? See our full guide to nurse specialties and the types of nurses.
Celebrate the home health nurses in your life
For Home Care Month, a new OASIS certification or just another hundred miles on the odometer: gifts for the nurses who bring care home.
Shop the Home Health Collection →Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Registered Nurses
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 7: Home Health Services
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, OASIS User Manual
- Medicare.gov, Home Health Services Coverage
- National Association for Home Care & Hospice, National Home Care and Hospice Month
- Henry Street Settlement, History of Lillian Wald and Visiting Nursing