Idaho Home Health Aide Programs

New graduates celebrate with their families at their nursing commencement ceremony.

How to Become a Home Health Aide in Idaho and Home Health Aide programs in Idaho – How to Enter the Field

The Idaho Department of Health defines a home health aide as a person who completes a basic course and is registered on the Home Health Aide Registry by the Idaho Board of Nursing. Basically these health care professionals provide health care to patients who are in their homes and in need of long term health care. Their education is similar to that of a nursing assistant and learning how to become a home health aide in Idaho is easy to do. There are also numerous home health aide programs in Idaho that will make it easy for one to enter the field.

Graduation from high school is a must when you want to become a home health aide in Idaho. Afterwards, enrollment in one of the many home health aide programs is the next step. There are certificate and associate degree programs available, and nearly any community college, trade school, vocational school, and most universities will offer a program. Be sure that you select one that is state approved and accredited in order to ensure that you're not wasting your time, since some schools lack approval but will still offer a degree.

After completion of the program your next step will be to gain national certification in order to become a home health aide in Idaho. Any of the approved home health aide programs in Idaho will allow you to do this. According to guidelines from the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, to gain certification you will have to complete a total of seventy five hours of training, complete the Skills Competency Assessment Checklist, and pass the examination that the Home Care University administers. After this you'll earn your certification and be ready for the next step.

The next step to become a home health aide in Idaho is simply to register with the state Board of Nursing. The Nurse Aide Registry can be reached at 800-748-2480 and detail the steps needed to get registered. Once you've completed one of the home health programs in Idaho and become registered you should have no trouble finding employment. Criminal background checks may be required, as will random drug testing, but the preceding steps are the keys to entering the field. The US Department of Labor states that the demand for these professionals will only grow over the come years at rates well above the national average. It's a career that is rewarding personally as well as professionally and one that is easier to enter than you may suspect.

Idaho Board of Nursing
280 N. 8th Street, Suite 210
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720
Phone: (208) 334-3110
Fax: (208) 334-3262

Idaho Nurses Association

• Idaho Department of Health and Welfare