Home › Home care staff requirements › North Dakota

Home care staff requirements in North Dakota

North Dakota licenses home health agencies through the Department of Health and Human Services. Home health aides need a 75-hour training and competency program or a competency evaluation by a registered nurse, plus 12 hours of in-service each year, and agencies must check state registries and licensing boards before hire. All staff must get yearly training on infection control, patient rights, and safety.

Licenses

• A person may not operate a home health agency in North Dakota without a license from the Department of Health and Human Services (NDCC 23-17.3-02).
• Home health services must include registered nurse services and at least one other therapeutic service, such as home health aide services, and may include homemaker or companion services (NDCC 23-17.3-01).

Background checks

• Personnel records must show that the agency checked state registries and licensure boards before employment for findings of inappropriate conduct, employment, disciplinary actions, and termination (NDAC 33-03-10.1-10).

Training and competency

• Each person who provides home health aide services must complete a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program or a competency evaluation program (NDAC 33-03-10.1-18).
• The training program must total at least 75 clock hours, with at least 16 hours of classroom training before supervised practical training and at least 16 hours of supervised practical training (NDAC 33-03-10.1-18).
• Training topics include communication, vital signs, infection control, emergencies, patient rights, personal hygiene, safe transfers, range of motion, and nutrition (NDAC 33-03-10.1-18).
• A registered nurse must conduct the competency evaluation, and an aide may not work alone on any task rated unsatisfactory until retrained and re-evaluated (NDAC 33-03-10.1-18).
• Aides must receive 12 hours of in-service education in each 12-month period, supervised by a registered nurse with at least two years of experience (NDAC 33-03-10.1-12).
• All staff must be trained every year on infection prevention and control, patient rights, and safety and emergency procedures (NDAC 33-03-10.1-12).

Also in the personnel file

• Personnel records must include job descriptions, orientation, training and education, disciplinary actions, current license or registration if needed, annual performance reviews, and aide competency evaluations (NDAC 33-03-10.1-10).
• Home health aides must be supervised by a registered nurse (NDAC 33-03-10.1-14).
• When a patient gets skilled nursing and aide services, the registered nurse must make supervisory visits at least every two weeks (NDAC 33-03-10.1-14).
• When a patient gets aide, homemaker, or companion services without skilled nursing, the registered nurse must make contact at least every 60 days (NDAC 33-03-10.1-14).

Common questions

Some rules for North Dakota weren't confirmed from an official source. Check with the state before relying on this page.

Sources

• NDCC chapter 23-17.3, Home Health Agency Licensure (North Dakota Legislative Branch)
• NDAC chapter 33-03-10.1, Home Health Agencies (North Dakota Legislative Branch)

This page summarizes state licensing rules in plain words, with links to the rules themselves. It is not legal advice, rules change, and your license type decides what applies: check the linked source and your licensing agency. Medicare-certified home health agencies also follow 42 CFR 484.80. Checked October 2026.

More for North Dakota

North Dakota background check laws · North Dakota drug testing laws · Medicare home health aide rules · All states

Nearby states

Minnesota home care staff requirements · Montana home care staff requirements · South Dakota home care staff requirements