Home Health Aide vs Nurse

home health aide boca raton

Nurses and Home Health Aide Boca Raton

Working in the healthcare field is a rewarding career. Helping people through all stages of life and in the most difficult times requires a lot of strength, patience, and selflessness. There are many varieties of health care workers employed in the field. However, knowing the differences between a nurse and home health aide Boca Raton is important whenever seeking employment as a home health aide Boca Raton.

Job Details of a Home Health Aide Boca Raton

A home health aide Boca Raton will care for individuals who have certain disabilities, age related issues, chronic illnesses, and cognitive impairments. These individuals still live within their homes as opposed to a nursing care facility. The individuals will be able to age and stay within the safety and comfort of their homes. These individuals may need monitoring 24/7 or may only need assistance a certain number of days out of the week. The aides will help the individual complete daily activities and medical services they require. Some of the things the job description entails are:

• Person assistance with dressing, especially if the person has a limited mobility.

• Personal assistance with toileting. Some individuals cannot walk or stand by themselves to transfer themselves onto the toilet.

• Assistance with the feeding process. Some diseases can cause shakiness, inability to move limbs or the loss of sight and needing guidance with utensils.

• Routine house cleaning and preparation. This can be doing things like laundry, dishes and mopping floors. This will keep the individual with a clean and safe home.

• Helping the individuals with their grocery shopping or even doing it for them.

• Preparing meals for the person.

• Assisting the person to a doctor’s appointment or any other important appointments.

• Encouraging individuals to stay mentally and physical alert by providing different exercises and encouraging mobility.

• Changing bandages.

• Checking a person’s vital signs like their temperature, pulse, and respiration rate.

• Helping the individual administer their medications.

• Keeping track of the care plan that has been prepared for a certain individual.

• Providing companionship to the individual because they may be the only people that visit them.

Job Details of a Nurse

Registered nurses have a wider range of a job description than an aide. They are a higher rank than an aide, but they still work together in helping the patient have a great outcome. They both revolve around the care plan established for the person. The job for a registered nurse consists of:

• Observing and assessing the patients’ symptoms and reporting them to a physician.

• Helping the physicians diagnose a patient’s symptoms and coming to a conclusion on a diagnosis.

• Giving advice to the individual about their condition and providing follow up care and instructions.

• Working closely with other nurses and doctors to prepare and establish a care plan pertaining to a certain individual’s diagnosis.

• Allowing individuals to lean on them while offering advice and emotional support.

• Charting and paperwork for every single patient regarding meals, medications, and bathroom usage, etc.

• Administering medications as properly ordered in the forms of injections, IV’s, and pills.

Education of a Home Health Aide Boca Raton

The health aides usually don’t need to meet any educational requirements such as a diploma or a degree. The training is mostly retained from on-the-job learning. They will be trained and monitored by registered nurses, other experienced home health aide Boca Raton, or licensed practical nurses. In many states however they are required to obtain a certification to be allowed to legally work in a person’s home or a facility. There are programs that are offered through vocational schools, community colleges, or even certain company programs. The state certification will consist of the training and then an exam so the person will be legally allowed to provide the care to individuals

Education of a Nurse

Becoming a licensed nurse has many more requirements compared to a health aide. They will need a diploma or GED because they will have to receive a college degree. The minimum degree a nurse can receive is an associate degree resulting in becoming a registered nurse sometimes referred to as ASN. However, there’s also a bachelor’s degree resulting in the person becoming a registered nurse with a Bachelor of Science in nursing also called BSN. Of course, the individual can move onto a master’s degree obtaining the rank of a nurse practitioner. During the degree programs are many late-night studies and clinical trainings. After passing all the college classes the person needs to be certified by taking the national nurse licensure exam (NCLEX.) The extensive training and education take a great deal of time and knowledge to complete.

Work Settings

The home health aide Boca Raton will typically be working in a home or facility with a home setting. However, nurses have a wider variety of work settings. They can be seen in hospitals, doctor offices, urgent care facilities, senior care facilities, a person’s home or even a school. Regardless of the difference in work settings the main goal stays the same. That goal is to provide excellent care to the individuals.

Salary Differences

Although both are extremely important for the individuals care plan and health there is a difference in the salaries provided. The home health aide Boca Raton’s salary is dependent on multiple factors such as where they live, who they work for and how many years of experience they have. Most aides will make between $27,000-$37,000 annually. With the more extensive job description and educational requirements the nurses have a higher salary structure. The annual salary for a nurse lies between $50,000-$100,000 which is dependent upon workplace and degrees like BSN and ASN.

Importance of Both

Both the home health aide Boca Raton and nurses are imperative to a patient care plan and health care outlook. Nurses will help diagnose the problem, provide help with a solution to the diagnosis, and see the patients for follow-ups. The aides will be there the entire time and will provide just as much support as the nursing team. Both the nurses and aides work hand in hand to provide the excellent care that is neededed.

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