Private Nursing

Introduction

Although the United States today is suffering widespread economic recession and

contraction there remains a few areas of industry that are continuing to grow steadily,

much of it due to the aging of America’s generations and the ability to live longer.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, home care services and private nursing

are among the handful of career areas that are still growing strong.

The growth drivers for this

particular industry should

not be surprising. Private

nursing demand continues

to expand due to the

general populace growing

older, advances in

medicine allowing the

average age to exceed old

mortality limits and more

debilitating health

conditions to be treated on

an ongoing basis. All of the

changes above mean

there is more demand for

skilled nursing to be

available 24/7 in

households that can afford

the help. And even those who cannot rely on government assistance to

make up the difference and make it possible.

Additionally, the private health industry is also getting in on the act, seeing cost-saving benefits to moving people out of hospitals

and into home-settings as quickly as possible via outpatient care.

But what exactly is private nursing? We see it all the time in TV shows, but very few of us understand the industry unless we

either work in it or require the services. Even many going through nursing school and working in hospitals or large institutions are

unaware of this different nursing field. It can be a very lucrative alternative given the right set of circumstances and client.

Technically speaking, a private nurse can be hired by a group, a family or even an individual to provide 24/7 skilled-care services,

medical assistance, and monitoring. This can be either in a hospital or in a home setting. Most people needing such services

tend to either be in outpatient recovery from a serious injury, surgery or illness, or they have an ongoing, chronic condition that

requires skilled, regular assistance.

The demand on the private nurse that is hired, of course, means that when assigned they have to be providing services

practically on a continuous basis. This can include fundamental services as well including cleaning, meal preparation and

delivery, diet-planning, and similar daily care. These are not nurse duties per se; however, the private nursing occupation is broad

and usually includes personal care along with medical assistance. As a result, private nurses may take on the label of a caretaker

in some circumstances rather than “nurse.”