Poll: Majority of Home Health Nurses Feel Unsafe During Patient Visits

After Nurse.org published the story of a settlement from a home health nurse killed while visiting a halfway house for sex offenders, thousands of nurses commented on the story’s social posts with urgent concerns about safety in home care.

In the days following the article’s publication, nearly 300 current and former home health nurses participated in an online poll to share their own experiences. Their responses were revealing: most home health nurses feel unsafe or insufficiently protected when entering patients’ homes.

Home Health Nurses Feel Unprotected

Among the 287 current and former home health nurses who responded, the overwhelming sentiment was clear: most do not feel adequately protected during home visits.

Do/did you feel adequately protected when visiting patients in their homes?

• No: 51%
• Somewhat: 38%
• Yes: 10%

Only one in ten respondents reported feeling adequately protected on the job.

Would knowing a patient’s criminal history change your willingness to visit?

• Yes, definitely: 60%
• Yes, but only for violent or sexual offenses: 29%
• Not sure: 7%
• No: 4%

Nearly 90 percent said that access to criminal-history information would influence their willingness to see a patient, underscoring how strongly nurses feel about transparency and risk awareness.

Which TWO safety measures would help you feel most protected during home visits?

For the final question of our poll, Nurses could select two options, so the percentages reflect the share of total respondents and will not be equal to 100%.

• Buddy system for high-risk visits: 76%
• Access to full patient history, including criminal background: 58%
• Wearable panic button or emergency alert device: 44%
• Structured safety check-in/check-out protocols: 11%
• Specialized safety and de-escalation training: 4%

The top response by a wide margin was a buddy system, with more than three-quarters of nurses selecting it. Access to full patient history was also a high-priority measure, followed by wearable emergency alert devices. Few nurses believe structured safety protocols or specialized training were of top importance.

What Needs to Change

This poll underscores a glaring mismatch between the demands placed on home health nurses and the protections afforded to them. Given the unpredictable nature of home care, it is imperative that agencies, regulators, and policymakers treat nurse safety as a priority.

At the same time, while the responses reflect frustration, they also outline a clear roadmap for change. Home health nurses enter unfamiliar environments every day, often alone and with limited information about the people they are sent to care for. Their feedback points to practical steps agencies can implement immediately: pairing nurses for high-risk visits, improving transparency around patient history, and equipping staff with emergency alert tools.

As home health continues to grow in demand, the industry must adopt safety measures that reflect the realities of the job. Nurses should not have to sacrifice their personal security to provide essential care. The message from this poll is unmistakable: meaningful protections are not optional, they are overdue.

 

🤔Nurses, what do you think about the results of this poll? Share your thoughts in the forum below.