5 Professional Development Opportunities to Discover as a Home
Health Aide
Are you looking to advance your career in a healthcare field that is constantly growing and in need of skilled professionals? Becoming a Home Health Aide entails assisting the elderly population, those who are physically or mentally disabled, and other patients who are in the process of recovering from illness or injuries; a Home Health Aide plays a vital role in making patients feel safe in their homes and assists in maintaining their quality of life despite any setbacks. Stepping into this field of work can present several opportunities for professional development advancements like certification/specialization, a lifetime of learning, benefits, a flexible schedule, and employment diversity.
Certification and Specialization Professional Advancements
One of the benefits of pursuing a career in the Home Health Aide field is the ability to advance beyond a diploma and sit for certification or specialization within the field. Becoming a Home Health Aide allows a person to enter the medical field. As an HHA, a person can study medical terminology, procedures, and health code violations so they are prepared to eventually advance further in the medical field. A position like Home Health Aide is an excellent entry point for someone who would like to become a licensed nurse, RN, and several other professions within the medical domain.
Although to work as an entry-level HHA in some states a person doesn’t require a formal certification, there is almost always the opportunity for an HHA to advance their career and become the best in their field through certification. For example, a Home Health Aide can sit for a Vocational Nurse Certification (LVN) or a Certified Nursing Assistant Certification (CNA). Depending on state laws or job allowances, more opportunities may be available for an HHA to build upon their original diploma and help them reach new advancements within the medical field.
A Lifetime of Learning Opportunities
In addition to the opportunity to reach certification level, professionals in the home health aide field are exposed to a lifetime of learning because the health services sector is constantly evolving. New medicines, treatments, and wellness health plans are constantly being developed to give patients the best care possible, while keeping up to date with medical standards.
In fact, many states not only encourage, but require HHAs and other professionals to participate in continuing education courses to stay sharp and well-educated in the field. Please view a list of state requirements here. Earning a certificate is a good starting point to get into this field, yet when working in the medical field, it is vital that a professional never stops learning. While continuing education will help you stay current with developments, skills, and new technologies, it can also increase your chances for promotions and better wages.
Benefits
Most professional jobs in the medical field, like a Home Health Aide, qualify individuals for several benefits. Although up to the discretion of the employer, many perks of working within the medical field are paid vacation and sick time, medical insurance plan options, retirement and 401k programs, along with disability insurance. Benefits offered will vary state-by-state and on an employer-dependent basis. However, employment in the medical field, such as that of an HHA, can allow someone the development opportunities for a plethora of benefits like some of those mentioned, or even those further offered beyond those mentioned above.
Flexible Schedule
As a Home Health Aide, a person will be responsible for multiple duties that may fall under different schedules. Due to this, an HHA can have a flexible, or non-traditional work schedule. If a person works for a company that offers HHA employment, the patient base will vary. Some patients will only need assistance during certain hours of the day. Therefore, a Home Health Aide will have the opportunity to work different schedules, such as overnights to monitor a patient or mornings to assist a client with therapy or medicine administration. Most HHAs can cater their schedule to their own life as well, by working on either a full-time or part-time basis.
Employment Diversity
A final professional development opportunity associated with an HHA career is the ability to work within different environments, as there are multiple routes available for an HHA. For example, a Home Health Aide professional can work in a clinic, assisted living facilities, daycare facilities, home health agencies, nonprofit organizations, group homes, and additional programs. This allows HHAs to expand their interests and care to many diverse groups of patients and doesn’t limit them to working in just one area of the medical sector; an HHA can always move to a different realm if they would like to expand their interests and explore other available options.
Start Your Career At Blackstone Career Institute and Become Certified:
Start your profession with one of BCI’s Career Training Programs and earn a diploma in Home Health Aide. Then as a qualified candidate, take any licensing and certification requirements to stand out to future employers!
