For home health and hospice workers
Bloodborne Pathogens Certification for Home Health and Hospice Staff
One hour, online, $18. Narrated in English, Spanish or Amharic at the speed you choose. Certificate PDF the moment you pass, verifiable by anyone with the number.
Who this is for
- Home health aides and CNAs
- Visiting nurses and hospice staff
- Personal care and companion workers
- Agencies onboarding staff who need proof of training on day one
- Aides who learn best in Spanish or Amharic
What OSHA requires
29 CFR 1910.1030 requires every employee with occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials to be trained at hire and at least once every 12 months, by a course covering a fixed list of topics and giving the chance to ask questions of a knowledgeable person. For home health and hospice workers, the exposure is real and specific:
- Injections and blood glucose checks in a client's home with no biohazard setup
- Sharps disposal when the container lives in your vehicle
- Wound care, catheter and ostomy care, and cleaning up incontinence
- Handling laundry and linens soiled with blood
- Reporting an exposure when your supervisor is a phone call and thirty miles away
What the course covers
Nine narrated lessons, about an hour total. Narration and slides in English, Spanish or Amharic, at the speed you choose, from 0.5× to 2×. What it covers:
- Which tasks in home care create exposure risk and which don't
- Universal precautions when the 'facility' is someone's living room
- Carrying and using a portable sharps container; what never goes in household trash
- Gloves, gowns and eye protection for wound and personal care
- Cleaning a spill in a home with household bleach
- Hepatitis B vaccination through your employer
- Immediate care after an exposure and how to reach your agency's process from the field
Then a 20-question exam, 80% to pass, unlimited retakes. Full course outline.
Questions from home health and hospice workers
I work for two agencies. Do I need two certificates?
No. The certificate belongs to you, is verifiable by number, and any employer can check it online. Most agencies accept a current certificate from a prior employer; some retrain on hire regardless. Ask before you buy if you're unsure.
Will my agency accept this?
OSHA does not accredit bloodborne pathogens courses; your employer decides what training it accepts. The course covers the training topics in 1910.1030(g)(2)(vii)(A) through (M), the certificate lists them, and anyone can verify it online. Most employers accept it; if yours needs more, send them the course outline.
How fast can I get it?
About an hour, including the exam. The certificate PDF is emailed the moment you pass.
Is it available in other languages?
Yes. Each person can take the course in English, Spanish or Amharic (አማርኛ): lessons, narration and test. OSHA requires training material appropriate to each employee's language (1910.1030(g)(2)(vi)), which matters for agencies whose aides are more comfortable in Spanish or Amharic. Certificates are issued in English and state the training language.
Does this count toward my CNA continuing education?
It documents OSHA bloodborne pathogens training. Whether it counts as CE depends on your state nurse aide registry; many accept infection-control training, but check with the registry.