Category Archives: Nursing Certification

Home Health Aide Requirements

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A home health aide is responsible for providing health care to patients typically in their home, but also in other health care settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, group homes, public and private schools and assisted living facilities.  They give their patients first aid, dispense medications under the supervision of an RN and provide care in emergency situations among many other duties.  In some facilities such as elementary and high schools, they will administer hearing and eye tests.

A Home Health Aide can also go by the titles of personal care attendant, residential care aide or personal support worker.

The classes in any good home health aide training school will include how to assist the patient with daily living activities related to dressing, bathing, and meal preparation.  Classes also will be in personal care in the nature of medications and how to dispense them, nutrition, safety and basic medical care.

In addition to this training in providing physical comfort to the patient, you will learn psychological support to aid patients who may be suffering from dementia or dealing with developmental difficulties.

The educational requirements for becoming a home health aide will include some on-the-job training, which is usually provided the health aide by the employer.  You should have a high school diploma as this will help greatly in landing that first job, but not all health aides have a high school diploma – they learned by on-the-job and classroom training provided by the health care facility in which they work.  You can’t count on finding such an employer, though.

Many states require formal training under a certificate program, generally available from community colleges, vocation/technical schools or an elder care agency.  Some areas of the United States require health aides to have an associate degree in home health care.

You will enjoy a career as a home health aide if you have a strong desire to help people, are not bothered by hard work, have compassion for people, are dependable and have a cheerful attitude.  No one who is sick deserves to be cared for by a grump.

There are online programs available if there is no suitable health aide program in your area.  Look for a school approved by the DETC – Distance Education Training Council.  Also check local laws before you decide on any training school, online or not.  Some states require health aide certificates to consist of a specific number of hours.

Once you become a health aide, you can expect to be entering a field which, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has a projected growth rate of 46-50% increase in employment between 2008 and 2018 due to the growth in numbers of the aging population.  An average beginning salary for the health aide in 2009 was 23,000 per year.

If you are looking to become a health aide working specifically as a home health aide, you should know that this area may require frequent lifting of patients and equipment.  Remember, it’s you and your patient, no colleagues to call on for help in this situation.  Home health aides generally spend part of their day traveling from client to client and in addition to providing basic health care assistance, they may perform light housekeeping like changing bed sheets and doing laundry.  Home health aides must possess patience and sensitivity due to the personal nature of the work within a diverse client base.  Home health aide employment would appeal to the compassionate person seeking variety in their work day.

What IV Certification Can Mean to You

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For practicing RNs and LPNs, IV certification allows them to gain knowledge and expand their professional skills with IV therapy treatment.  Also, qualified applicants can earn their IV certification through professional nursing associations. The IV certificate programs offer study topics such as refresher courses in anatomy and physiology and health care laws.  Students in an IV certification program will learn practical approaches to IV therapy preparation and administration.  Those interested in studying for an IV certificate must be either a licensed RN or LPN.  IV therapy certificate programs will generally qualify as continuing education credits toward licensing.

 IV Certification Program Curriculum

All IV certification curriculum will include courses that instruct them in proper IV techniques through demonstrations, practical laboratory work and supervised clinical work experience, much like other health care certification programs.  Specifically the IV certification program student will take classes in:

  • The review of human body structure and functions
  • The importance of electrolytes and fluids
  • IV solution chemical make-ups
  • Preparation of the IV and vein selection
  • Venipuncture techniques\
  • Side effects and complications of IV therapy
  • Peripheral access techniques in IV therapy
  • Central access techniques and central line care in IV therapy
  • IV therapies for the control of specific diseases
  • Laws and regulations of health care

 Available IV Certification Career Options

There are many career choices available for certified IV RNs and LPNs.  The good news is that their salary will also increase for having obtained the supplemental certificate.  IV certification gives them the opportunity to work as professionals in the following disciplines.

  • Oncology nurse
  • Renal dialysis nurse practitioner
  • Nurse anesthetists
  • Home care infusion specialists
  • Intensive care nurses

All of these will not only add to income, but will add variety to the daily routine and expand your horizons in the medical field.

Professional Certification and Continuing Education Information 

IV therapy nurses are eligible to earn voluntary industry certifications through several organizations and associations.  The National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses (nflpn.org) offers an IV Therapy and Gerontology certification. Along with the NFLPN, the Infusion Nurses Society’s Certification Corporation (incc1.org) offers a Certified Registered Nurse Infusion credential.  Applicants to qualify for professional IV certification generally need to be licensed nurses, have worked a number of hours in IV therapy and must pass an organization examination.

Other than the two organizations mentioned above, you can find available training opportunities in your state through your State Nursing Board, or simply go online and search for IV certification programs in (your state).  You will find several options to choose from, some may be all campus oriented with practical instruction in a health care facility nearby and some may be a combination of online classes and clinical practice in a health care facility near you.

Whichever method of instruction you choose, a certificate in IV therapy will expand your career options as well as your professional knowledge and skills.  That increase in salary is not bad either.