Field Trip: Interview With a Home Health Nurse [video]

In honor of International Nurses Day, we’re taking a “field trip” to get a glimpse into the life of a nurse in the home health field! We spent the day with Caroline Ashmore, who has been a nurse with Interim HealthCare since 2019 and was recently named runner-up for Interim’s national 2023 “Nurse of the Year” award, setting her apart as one of the BEST of the best.

What is home health nursing?

Home health nurses provide skilled care to homebound patients struggling with chronic conditions, disabilities, or recovering from surgeries. Some types of care home health nurses provide are:

• Wound care

• Tube feeding

• Monitoring vital signs

• Urinary catheter care

• Intravenous (IV) therapy

• Education to patients and caregivers

• Medication administration and management

To be a nurse in the home health field, one must be adaptable, dealing with complex schedules, changing routes, and many different types of cultures and social dynamics within homes. However, a significant draw to the home health nursing field is the freedom nurses can have with a more flexible schedule. Many nurses enjoy the challenge of working independently, enabling them to take initiative and “think on their feet” in varying situations.

One characteristic that makes home health nursing unique is its personal nature. Nurses can foster meaningful and lasting relationships with their patients and families. This allows them to develop trust, playing a vital role in improving the outcomes for our patients, as it helps with education and communication. A 2017 study found that patients who trusted their healthcare professionals reported a higher health-related quality of life and fewer symptoms.

Watch the video below to hear from Caroline Ashmore and learn what it’s like to work in the home health nursing field!