Travel Home Infusion RN Jobs
Home Infusion RNs are responsible for the administration of intravenous medications to patients at home. Physicians order infusion therapy for more serious infections and specialized disorders when oral medications are less effective. Types of infusion therapy may include antibiotics for infections, fluid for dehydration, chemotherapy for cancer, tube feeding and/or total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for digestive disorders, immunoglobulin therapy for autoimmune diseases, and intotropics for heart failure. Home health infusion nurses visit patients in their homes to administer these intravenous (IV) medication(s), fluid, or nutrition through a catheter directly into the patient’s bloodstream.
Travel nursing can be an exciting and rewarding career, especially for those who are excited about experiencing new places and meeting new people. There are many benefits to working as a travel home infusion nurse, such as an increased income, professional development opportunities, and gaining experience in areas outside of your own geographic region.
Travel Home Infusion Nurse FAQ
How Much Do Home Infusion Nurse Jobs Pay?
A home infusion nurse can expect an average salary in the United States of approximately $80,000 per year. This figure, however, varies based on multiple factors, including location, level of experience, additional qualifications, and the specific healthcare organization. As the demand for home healthcare services continues to rise, so too may the earning potential for home infusion nurses.
What Does an Infusion Nurse Do?
A home infusion nurse provides specialized nursing patient care in a patient's home, with a focus on administering medication through infusion. They work with primary care and specialized physicians to develop tailored treatment plans, taking into account the unique needs of each patient. Responsibilities typically include monitoring the patient's health, administering intravenous medication, managing pain, and educating patients and their families on the proper care procedures. Furthermore, these professionals are also accountable for maintaining and operating infusion equipment, ensuring sterility, and monitoring for any adverse reactions. This nursing role demands extensive knowledge of infusion therapies, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to provide compassionate patient care within a home setting.
How to Become a Home Infusion Registered Nurse
Education & License Requirements
A registered nurse needs to complete their associate degree or bachelor's degree at an accredited nursing program and take the National Council Licensure Exam NCLEX -RN Exam, which is a requirement to practice as a registered nurse in the United States. Once the NCLEX exam is passed, you meet the requirements by your state license board, and you obtain your RN license, then all that is left is to do is gain the necessary relevant experience in your specialty and explore additional certifications.
Prior to specializing in home infusion, it's crucial to gain nursing experience in a clinical setting. This experience should ideally involve intravenous treatment therapy or similar procedures. After gaining sufficient clinical experience, you can focus on home infusion services. This may involve on-the-job training or completing a home infusion certification program.
Certifications
The Infusion Nurse Certification Corporation (INCC) offers the Certified Registered Nurse Infusion (CRNI) credential. This certification validates a nurse's knowledge and competence in infusion nursing, including home infusion. It covers areas such as fluid and electrolyte balance, pharmacology, infection prevention, and patient education. Obtaining this certification can enhance a home infusion nurse's skills and professional credibility, potentially leading to increased employment opportunities and salary potential. Home infusion nurses must also maintain basic certifications such as Basic Life Support.
Where are Home Infusion Nurse Jobs Available?
Home infusion nurse jobs are available across the United States, particularly in cities and regions with a high demand for home healthcare services. Many healthcare organizations, home healthcare agencies, and specialized infusion services providers offer opportunities for infusion nurses. In addition to traditional healthcare settings, opportunities may also exist with insurance companies, outpatient care centers, and pharmaceutical companies that provide home infusion therapies.
How Do Pay Packages work for Travel Home Infusion Nurse Jobs?
While compensation offers can vary greatly depending on the contract or agency offering, pay packages for registered nurses typically have four major components: hourly taxable wages, meals and incidentals, housing, and travel.
Hourly Pay
Full-time nurses working at healthcare facilities receive a salary, but most travel nursing employers offer hourly wages at a competitive weekly rate. Every pay package for a travel nurse must include a taxable hourly wage, and the amount can vary depending on the shift, location, and specialty required of the assignment.
Housing
Housing payments can be included in a payment from a staffing agency. This is typically offered to a travel nurse in two ways. Either the company is providing housing, or the travel nurse is taking the housing stipend. It is more beneficial for the traveler to take the housing stipend for two primary reasons. First, they will have a choice in where they stay. Everyone’s definitions of comfortable and acceptable are different. The second reason the housing stipend is more beneficial for them is that it can be given as a nontaxable amount.
Meals and Incidentals
Also known as a per diem, meal and incidental stipends provide a daily budget for daily living expenses for travel nursing professionals. These standards vary depending on the cost of living in cities and states across the country.
Travel Expenses
Travel is the last portion of the pay package. Many recruiters may not even offer travel and instead put that money into the per diems or housing for their travel registered nurse so they are receiving the benefits over the entire contract, not just at the very beginning or end of the contract.
While a travel stipend can be used to cover the cost of a flight for the traveler, it is more often than not used to subsidize the traveler's expenses to and from an travel nursing assignment. Travel expenses can be offered as a reimbursement rate per mile, though many agencies will opt to offer a flat rate to and from an assignment.
Getting Started as a Traveling Home Infusion Nurse
Many travel nurses who want to work in critical access hospitals find work through recruitment agencies and marketplaces, which means you have better access to job boards to choose your schedule, location, and salary. When you begin browsing for travel nursing jobs, be sure to consider the housing options, the benefits, the guaranteed hours' policy, and the recruiting company’s overall reputation.
The good news is that Fusion Marketplace has everything you need when it comes to finding the perfect travel infusion RN job. Here, you have the freedom to compare benefits, packages, and staffing agencies—all in one place. So find your next perioperative nurse job and build your travel nursing career today.