Home Health Aide Certification In Oregon

Becoming a home health aide is a wonderful career choice. It opens the door to a long and fulfilling career. But where do you begin? We’re looking at how to get your home health aide certification in Oregon, including everything you need to know about licensing, education platforms, salaries, and finding work. This information should be helpful in applying for certification.

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Licensing Requirements in Oregon

To be a licensed HHA you first need to be a certified nursing assistant (CNA). This means you require the following to become a licensed HHA in Oregon:

  • Be 16 years or older
  • A complete CNA certification registered by the Oregon State Board of Nursing Nurse Aide Registry
  • Complete a training program of at least 75 hours, 16 of which are supervised practical clinical training
  • Complete the mandatory orientation for new homecare workers. This needs to be done at local APD (Aging and People with Disabilities) and AAA (Area Agency on Aging) within 30 days of being employed. 

Certification

To get an HHA certification in Oregon you must show competency in the following:

  • Reporting and observing patients
  • Caring for all patients’ nutrition and hygiene needs
  • Completing basic medical checks
  • Infection control procedures
  • Keeping patients’ environments healthy and safe
  • Adequate communication skills
  • Recognizing an emergency and implementing the relevant protocol
  • Patient transportation and positioning

You may also need to provide the following:

  • Background checks
  • Up-to-date vaccine records 
  • TB test results 
  • Your photo ID

Best Education Programs

Caregiver Training Institute

Located in Portland, the Caregiver Training Institute offers a Nursing Assistant Level One program. It provides all the information you need to pass the Oregon State Board of Nursing exam. 

Future certified nursing assistants have access to 155 hours of learning, broken up into 75 hours in a clinical setting and 80 hours of classroom learning. 

Students can take the course during the day, weekend, or evening, depending on their circumstances. You can complete the course in 5-9 weeks, depending on the teaching format. 

You may also be able to take the classroom teaching portion of the program online, but the clinical portion is in-person. 

There are different pricing options, depending on what you want included (textbooks, background checks, medical testing, etc.).

Basic course price: $1,745

Pacific Healthcare Training

Located in Medford, Pacific Healthcare Training offers a Nursing Assistant Training Program that prepares students for the Oregon nursing exam.

The course comprises 100 classroom hours and 75 hours of clinical training. Students are encouraged to be proactively involved and learn as much as possible from guest speakers and lecturers. 

To pass you will need:

  • A TB test
  • Background check
  • The physical and mental ability to work as a home health aide
  • To have passed an American Heart Association CPR class  

Price: $1,500

Job Outlook

The job outlook for home health aides in the US is currently excellent. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a 25% growth in the home health and personal care aides industry over the next seven or eight years.

Oregon currently has over 32, 000 employees in the home health aide industry. If you find a passion for healthcare and want to continue, you could further your studies to become a registered nurse.

Salaries

Looking at the national salary for home health aides in the US; the average yearly salary is $30,930 and the hourly is $14.87 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In Oregon, the average hourly salary for home health aides is $17.18, amounting to a yearly salary of $35,740. These amounts are significantly higher than the national average. 

Oregon offers more attractive remuneration for home health aides than some higher-paying states like California ($32,760) and New York ($35,590). 

Where to Find Work

When looking for work as a home health aide in Oregon, there are a few options:

  • Online job boards: These are generally useful for finding up-to-date home health aide job postings in your specific expertise and area. 
  • Through home health aide schools: Recruiters often provide institutions with job openings to get fully-trained employees. 
  • Networking: Open up to others in your industry. There is always a chance that someone knows of an opportunity for which you would be an excellent fit. 

FAQs

What qualities should a home health aide have? 

A home health aide should have empathy, be very good at managing their time, have attention to detail, and be flexible. 

Is it difficult to become a home health aide in Oregon? 

Compared to other states, Oregon is slightly different. You need to complete a certified nursing assistant training course that is registered by the Nursing Nurse Aide Registry. It should cover all the material you need to pass the relevant examinations and provides excellent training for the practical elements of the job.

Sources

https://cnatrainingoregon.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NA-1-Faculty-led-Hybrid-Program-Info-Sheet-Checklist-3-16-23.pdf

https://www.healthcarepathway.com/home-health/oregon-home-health-aide/

http://www.homehealthaideonline.com/home/hha-training-in-oregon/