How to Become a Hospice Nurse
Hospice helps patients live out their remaining days more comfortably and gives them more quality time with family and loved ones.
When someone is terminally ill, or at the final stages of their life, both they and their family need a special kind of care. That's where a hospice nurse comes in. With the ultimate goal of making sure the patient's death is peaceful, hospice nurses also provide emotional support for the patient and their loved ones during the end stages of the patient's life. The need for hospice care will continue to grow as the population increases and ages, so this is the perfect time to learn how to become a hospice nurse.
What Is a Hospice Nurse?
A hospice nurse is a registered nurse (RN) with additional specialized training in taking care of terminally ill patients who have six months or less to live. But when you learn how to become a hospice nurse, you'll find your role goes much deeper than clinical skills.
You'll work with the patient to take care of their medical needs and make sure they are comfortable. You'll also work closely with the patient's family to educate them on what to expect and how to care for them. And just as importantly, you will provide emotional support and compassion to the patient and their family throughout the end stages of the patient's life.
What Does a Hospice Nurse Do?
Hospice patients no longer receive curative care, but they do need assistance with pain and symptom management. As a hospice nurse, you may work in a specialized hospice care center, a hospital, a nursing home, or in the patient's home. Your hours will be unpredictable—hospice nurses are always on call for patients and their families as needs arise.
As a hospice nurse, duties may include:
- Explaining the prognosis and palliative care plan to the patient and family.
- Checking for hazards and arranging a patient's home for caregiving.
- Administering medication for pain and symptom management.
- Monitoring and dressing pressure ulcers and wounds.
- Monitoring and documenting patient vital signs.
- Explaining to family how to help care for the patient.
- Managing the stress of end-of-life decision-making.
- Talking with family about what to expect as death nears, being present at the time of death, and confirming the patient has passed away.
Along with clinical skills, a hospice nurse needs to have several essential character traits. These include being compassionate while being able to maintain emotional boundaries with the patient and their family. You need exceptional communication skills to explain medical terminology and discuss topics that may be confusing or frightening. You need to be organized, responsible, and self-motivated, especially if you work in a patient's home outside of a clinical setting.
How to Become a Hospice Nurse
You will need to take several steps to learn how to become a hospice nurse, including earning your basic nursing degree, becoming an RN, working in an acute care environment, and then sitting for a certification exam.
Earn Your Nursing Degree
You need a bachelor's degree to eventually work in hospice. Some nurses enroll in a two-year institution and graduate with an associate degree in nursing (ADN) and then start working as nurses while continuing school to get their bachelor's in nursing. Others attend a four-year college or university and graduate with a BSN before they start working.
Become an RN
You have two routes you can take to become an RN. You can complete a two-year program, become a certified registered nurse (RN) by passing a standardized test called the NCLEX-RN, and then go on to get your four-year BSN degree. Since you need work experience before being certified as a hospice nurse, you can work and go to school concurrently. You can also enroll in a four-year program to get your BSN and take the test to become an RN after graduation.
Get Your Hospice Nurse Certification
Two types of hospice certifications are available to an RN who learns how to become a hospice nurse—The CHPN (Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse) or the CHPLN (Certified Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurse.) To qualify for either, you need:
- At least a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) and your RN certification.
- Two to three years of experience working in an acute care setting where you are trained in pain management and the principles of death and dying.
- A passing grade on the CHPLN or CHPN exam.
You will need to have continuing education to renew your hospice nurse certification every four years, and some states have hospice nurse requirements that include additional licensing and experience.
How Much Do Hospice Nurses Make?
Our research at Monster shows that the median salary for a hospice nurse is $61,184, with a salary range of $48,915 to $92,533. But what you make depends on your location. You can look up the median hospice nurse salary in your location by using the Monster Salary Guide.
How to Find Hospice Nurse Jobs
Start your search for a hospice nurse job by putting together an effective resume and cover letter with all the elements specific to nursing. Monster also has a nursing career advice library tailored to you. We've made the rest easy! Search for hospice nurse jobs on Monster with just a few clicks.
According to the BLS, the top five states for hiring RNs, including hospice nurses, are:
The top five areas are:
Find a Job That Impacts So Many Lives
When you first thought about how to become a hospice nurse, you might have wondered where that decision would take you. It's brought you here—where hospice nurse jobs are waiting for you. Take the next important step and create a Monster profile. You'll get additional job-search tips, and your resume will be accessible by hiring managers and recruiters who are looking to fill hospice nurse positions.