It takes a special kind of someone to care for patients through their final moments. And these particular healthcare workers are often hospice nurses.
Instead of treating and curing various ailments and diseases, hospice nurses aim to ease a patient’s pain and suffering with an emphasis on pain relief, comfort, compassion, dignity, and support — for both the patient and their loved ones. To learn more about the ins and outs of hospice nursing, we must first distinguish the difference between hospice care and nursing homes and learn what it takes to be a hospice nurse.
Too often, hospice care and nursing homes are used interchangeably, but the thing is, they’re not the same. At all. So, let’s take a look at the difference.
While hospice care is a last-resort option for patients reaching the end of their life journey, nursing homes are for those who need constant or specialized care. Sure, you can have hospice care within a nursing home, but the services themselves are different. Nursing homes offer patients a permanent residence where they can get nutritional counseling, social work services, and recreational activities. According to recent data, almost half of all people who live in nursing homes are 85 years or older and 80 percent of residents need assistance with three or more activities of daily living, like dressing or bathing.
So, where nursing homes offer help with daily living, hospice is meant to care for those in their last six months of life. Designed to treat the whole person physically, emotionally, and spiritually, hospice nurses focus on relieving suffering, so the patient and their family are as comfortable and supported as possible during an incredibly difficult time. For example, hospice care may include grief counseling, speech therapy, therapeutic massage, and religious support, amongst other services.
Since hospice is an approach to patient care, it’s not tied to a specific place and can be offered either in a patient’s home or in a healthcare facility like a nursing home, hospital, or hospice center. Where hospice care is given will depend on where the patient feels most comfortable and safe.
Now that you have a better understanding of what hospice nursing is, let’s take a peek at what it takes to be a hospice nurse.
Of course, to become a hospice nurse, you must first be a registered nurse (RN). To do that, you should graduate with an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). For an added cherry on top, you can invest in an additional year to earn a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), which may help get you to the top of the nursing food chain.
After you’ve officially become a registered nurse, you’ll need a couple years of experience in an acute care setting. Not sure where to go? Might we suggest an intensive care unit (ICU) or an emergency department. By working in these fast-paced healthcare environments, you’ll naturally learn the necessary clinical skills needed to care for hospice patients.
With a couple years’ experience under your belt, you must now get certified by the National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Care Nurses (NBCHPN). There are several certifications to choose from like
After you’ve earned the necessary credentials, it’s time to put your knowledge to the test and find a hospice nursing job. Luckily, Marketplace makes this easy for you, so all you have to do is a simple search, and then narrow down job options from there until you find the one that works best for you. To give us an inside scoop on this specialty, we sat down with hospice nurse, Courtney, RN, BSN, DNP-S. Here’s what we learned.
Megan Bebout: Hi, Courtney! Thanks for sitting down with us to talk about hospice nursing. To get started, can you walk us through a day in the life of a hospice nurse?
Courtney Davenport: Thanks for having me! Yes, so, every day as a hospice nurse is so different—which is part of what makes it fun and exciting. For example, you may go in planning to see “these five patients,” and then the next thing you know, one of your patients has had a decline and another one had a fail. But let’s say the day goes as planned, this is what it would look like:
MB: Wow! So, you’re pretty busy day in and day out. Can you talk about why hospice nurses are important in healthcare?
CD: Well, without hospice nurses, families would have a difficult time allowing their loved one to pass in their home. Hospice nurses are also a key part in the facility-based patient team. We provide an extra set of eyes on the patient—including assessments and symptom management, as well as extra communication with the family. We provide an immense amount of education on the dying process and comfort management.
MB: What a special relationship you must build with your patients and their families. So, then are hospice nurses in demand?
CD: I believe the hospice industry is growing because there is more information being disseminated into the community about what hospice is and what we provide. Hospice is so often associated with immediate death, and I think people are starting to realize that’s not the case. We often provide care for patients up to one to two years, and many people say, “I wish we would have started this sooner.”
Hospice nurses are extremely in demand. In my local and small city, there are at least 10 hospice companies and I believe every single one of them is hiring! There are travel and agency hospice nursing positions, as well.
MB: I imagine hospice nurses are also growing in demand because the Baby Boomer population continues to age and require more patient-centered care. As a hospice nurse, it’s good to have job options! When it comes to finding a new travel job, how do you streamline the process to find your ideal hospice nursing assignment?
CD: Booking everything through one company makes it easy. When they help you find where you can stay and where you’ll work, it takes a load off. Pay is obviously a big part of finding where you want to work as a travel nurse, but I also like to look up online reviews of the hospice company to see what they may be like.
MB: That makes sense! And now through Marketplace, you can do all of that on your own for even more control. How has Marketplace impacted your nursing career?
CD: Oh, Marketplace makes it so easy to find travel nursing jobs that pay top dollar! For me, I like to specifically search “hospice,” and see what different locations come up, but you can also look at your location and see if there are different nursing areas locally that interest you. Basically, Marketplace is a one-stop-shop for everything you need.
MB: Well, that's why we created it! Making it easier to land your next healthcare job is the overall goal of Marketplace. And on that note, why would you recommend Marketplace to other healthcare professionals?
CD: One thing I like about Marketplace is the pricing transparency. I have talked to other companies that like to keep the amount of money you can make disclosed until they know you’re interested, but with Marketplace, you can pop on and browse jobs while seeing the pricing AND without the pressure of having to talk to a representative until you’re ready. I remember the first time I looked at a travel contract, the representative just threw SO many numbers at me and I had no idea what she was talking about. With Marketplace, they have people that are there to help you, not confuse you, and not pressure you.
MB: Right! Marketplace is an online job platform that was made to put healthcare travelers like you in the driver’s seat of their career. Thanks so much for your time and willingness to chat with us about hospice nursing and the perks of Marketplace!
CD: Of course!
Hospice nurses work hard to provide end-of-life care to some of the community’s most vulnerable patients. Not only do you need extensive healthcare knowledge to be a hospice nurse, but you also need unwavering support, overwhelming compassion, and mental strength. Think you have what it takes? Create a Marketplace traveler profile and browse hospice nursing jobs!
Hello! My name is Courtney. I graduated from an accelerated BSN program in August of 2018. I immediately started the part-time DNP program at the same university. I worked in oncology before moving cities and going to the MICU-CCU. I quickly learned that critical care was not for me, and I have been working in hospice for over a year now and I love it. Find me on Instagram under @Court.Nurse or read my blog for more info about me!