Preparation for professional practice. What do we need?

Home health care has been portrayed as a specialty that is overdue for acknowledgment and integration in courses, practicum, faculty preparation, and learning resource development on both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The growing numbers of master's programs announcing a home health care component are creating a diversity of preparation outcomes. The level of knowledge and breadth of perspective demanded by the clinician, manager, and administrator in home care is complex and requires concentrated program development on the master's level and a strong integration of content and practicum experience for undergraduate students. Education must know its product line and be sensitive to the persistent trends and demands of the consumers of its graduates. Agencies must communicate the need for adequate preparation to the educational setting. A collaborative approach in resolving the supply and demand cycle for nurses capable of operating in and directing the resources of agencies can result in enhanced client outcomes in the home health industry.