Placing quality at the heart of their nursing practice, Hospice Nurses ensure terminally-ill patients receive around-the-clock personalised care and support so they can make this end-of-life journey at their own pace, on their own terms. Continue Reading
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Explore Career Placing quality at the heart of their nursing practice, Hospice Nurses ensure terminally-ill patients receive around-the-clock personalised care and support so they can make this end-of-life journey at their own pace, on their own terms.
What are the typical responsibilities of a Hospice Nurse?
A Hospice Nurse would typically need to:
Hospice Nurses may provide care to the patient in their home or an organised healthcare setting. The hospice care work environment entails regular interaction with an interdisciplinary team comprising physicians, chaplains, social workers, psychologists, nursing assistants, volunteer coordinators, members of the family, and other stakeholders.
Full-time shifts may range from eight to twelve hours, based on the setting and the Hospice Nurse’s specific duties. They need to be on call 24/7 to take care of emergencies.
Research suggests that flexible hours appeal more than salary to the younger generation. There has been an incremental increase in employers willing to give promising employees a chance to adjust their schedules per work demand
Finding a new job might seem challenging. Hospice Nurses can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting employers directly, using job search platforms, going to job fairs, leveraging social media, and inquiring at staffing agencies.
Hospice Nurses are generally employed by:
Healthcare associations, such as the International Association for Hospice & Palliative Care (IAHPC), provide unparalleled networking and educational opportunities. They offer all the certification courses members will need throughout their professional careers.
Affiliated Hospice Nurses may attend conventions, seminars, and dinners frequented by peers, mentors, and other industry leaders. The events help them keep up with the latest breakthroughs and developments in the field, including plum jobs.
To show their commitment to the long qualifying period, every applicant to a nursing program needs work experience in their local hospital, doctor's surgery, nursing home, or mental health trust. It will help them understand a nursing career's physical and emotional demands.
Once you determine that hospice care is your goal, consider volunteering with a hospice or palliative care team to gain experience working with patients and families facing terminal illnesses.
Prior registered nurses or staff nurses with at least two to three years of clinical nursing experience stand a greater chance of being recruited as Hospice Nurses.
Summer internships, part-time work at an entry-level position, or short-term paid/voluntary work in healthcare offer a taste of the work, give valuable insight into how a company or institution operates, help build useful contacts, and improve one’s prospects of getting a permanent job.
The experience may also help you determine whether the public, private, or voluntary sector is best suited to realise one’s ambitions. Your educational provider’s career service department can provide information about viable opportunities for work placements, internships and voluntary work in diverse sectors.
Read about the profession, perform community service, undertake relevant research, and interview/ job shadow experts working in hospice care to prove your commitment to course providers and prospective employers.
Even while in high school you can check with a teacher or counsellor about relevant work-based learning opportunities available in your school or community that can help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.
Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organisation that is of interest, so you can have fun while learning about yourself and be directed toward a future career.
It helps to document such experiences on letters of recommendation for submission with nursing school applications.
A four-year bachelor’s degree (BSN) or a two-year associate degree (ADN) in nursing, pre-nursing or health care is the minimum academic requirement Hospice Nurses must acquire so that they can be qualified as RNs (Registered Nurses).
Some programmes are more flexible and may offer part-time and online components, although clinical and lab-based subjects require in-person attendance.
Students learn about health assessments, medical and surgical care, microbiology, and immunology through clinical training courses. An ideal programme includes general instruction in English, biology, chemistry, and psychology that may vary in depth, based on the type of degree it offers.
Applicants must hold a high school diploma or GED (General Education Development) with a high score in subjects such as algebra, chemistry, microbiology, anatomy, physiology, liberal arts courses, and lab coursework. English and speech classes will help you develop your research, writing, and oral communication skills.
Education providers may also mandate an entrance exam in addition to or instead of pre-requisite courses, a personal statement, and letters of recommendation.
Some applicants choose to earn a master’s degree in nursing.
Remember that completing a particular academic course does not guarantee entry into the profession. Be that as it may, professional qualifications and transferable skills may open up more than one door.
Do your homework and look into all available options for education and employment before enrolling in a specific programme. Reliable sources that help you make an educated decision include associations and employers in your field.
Certification demonstrates a prospective Hospice Nurse’s competence in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and BLS (basic life support), typically through work experience, training, and passing an examination.
Accredited certification in therapeutic care and medicine or hospice and palliative care is equally important. In addition, Certified Nurse Assistants can earn more as Hospice Nurses. Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics.
Most employers make RN licensure a requirement. It typically requires passing a national exam after obtaining a minimum level of education, work experience, or completion of an internship/apprenticeship as ordained by the local nursing regulatory body.
Hospice Nurses may also need to undergo an employment background check including but not limited to a person’s work history, education, credit history, motor vehicle reports (MVRs), criminal record, medical history, use of social media, and drug screening.
Performance, experience, and the acquisition of professional qualifications drive the career progression of Hospice Nurses who usually begin their careers as entry-level Hospice Aides or Certified Nursing Assistants.
They may advance to positions such as Hospice Nurse Case Manager or Hospice Nurse Practitioner. A management or administrative bent of mind may steer you towards becoming a Hospice Nurse Manager or Director.
Opening your own hospice care agency is a viable option. Other career plans may include moving to related industries such as pharmacy, health insurance and care management.
The desire to accelerate career growth and personal development has an increasing number of millennials choosing to job hop and build a scattershot resume that showcases ambition, motivation, and the desire to learn a broad range of skills.
Studies prove that job hopping, earlier dismissed as “flaky” behaviour, can lead to greater job fulfilment. Employees searching for a positive culture and interesting work are willing to try out various roles and workplaces and learn valuable, transferable skills along the way.
RNs with significant work experience added to requisite communication skills, patience, attention to detail, empathy, compassion, and a non-judgmental attitude have the best job prospects.
Continuing professional development (CPD) is essential for public well-being and career progression in the healthcare sector. It embraces several new learning objectives, educational methodologies, and novel technological developments, especially in education, management, and IT.
Reflective learning, interaction with peer groups, comprehensive inclusion, workshops, and professional publications educate, influence, support, and foster lifelong enlightenment in all career-grade Hospice Nurses.
Most employers provide on-the-job training lasting a few weeks to new hires, so they learn about the organisational policies and procedures, patient care guidelines, and the software and equipment they use.
CPD is essential in ensuring the regular renewal of desirable certifications and licences. Recertification would also involve meeting practice hour requirements and completing the Situational Judgement Exercise (SJE) to prove one’s ability to deal with the real-life clinical situations Hospice Nurses face regularly.
A Brief History of Hospice Care
Although the origin of the word “hospice” is uncertain, it is universally understood to mean taking care of or providing rest to a guest/individual who is ill.
Hospices were formed initially to provide solace to the ill and dying pilgrims travelling to and from the Holy Land. Following a general decline after that, the hospice movement saw a revival in the mid-19th century.
As we know it today, hospice care owes its existence to Cecily Saunders, whose nursing experience with terminally-ill patients inspired her to become a physician. Dr Saunders coined the term “total pain”, including physical, emotional, social and spiritual distress.
Her philosophy stems from the concept that when hospice care focuses on alleviating the total pain of the patient and their family instead of treating the disease, it allows the patient to have a more comfortable, end-of-life stage care experience.
Hospice care continues to evolve and become accessible worldwide, significantly impacting a patient's overall physical and mental well-being.
Hospice Care vs Palliative Care
Both strive to ensure the patient’s comfort. However, hospice care begins after prescribed disease treatment ends when it is clear that the patient will not survive the illness beyond a limited time. Palliative care may follow the diagnosis and continue throughout treatment.
An Embarrassment of Riches
Hospice nursing has so much to offer that a close study of the various options is essential to make an educated decision. A BSN is a must in most cases, with each position requiring specific technical abilities and soft skills to succeed.
Admissions Liaisons develop consultative relationships with healthcare professionals and provide them with appropriate hospice referrals that would best suit their patient's needs.
Performance Improvement Specialists (PIS) assess and facilitate a facility’s compliance with accepted healthcare standards, licensure laws, organisational policies, and relevant regulatory/accrediting bodies.
Patient Care Administrators monitor the clinical and financial performance of the interdisciplinary team and guarantee optimal patient care in terms of clinical appropriateness and quality of patient care.
Admissions Nurses visit patients’ homes, hospitals, and emergency rooms to meet with patients and families who have been referred to or are considering hospice. They explain the services and philosophy of the hospice they represent to facilitate the admission of appropriate patients.
Admissions Managers recruit and manage the admissions team. They develop viable strategies and plans, coordinate staff and schedules, and monitor customer service and referrals to admission goals.
Registered Nurse (RN) Team Managers or Nurse Managers ensure patients and their families receive sustained care and support through effective supervision of the interdisciplinary team.
RN Continuous Care Staffing Managers develop and evaluate the staffing resources required by patient care teams that provide continuous patient care.
RN Telecare Supervisors are in charge of care connection centres - call centres that provide customer service and medical advice and dispatch home visits to hospice patients and caregivers during alternate business hours. The supervisor offers clinical oversight and manages the triage staff.
Current Scenario,
The continued global nurse shortage and remarkable growth in the worldwide use of and need for hospice care following a rapidly ageing population translates into sustainable job creation for Hospice Nurses.
Potential Pros & Cons of Freelancing vs Full-Time Employment
Freelancing Hospice Nurses have more flexible work schedules and locations. They own the business and can select their projects and clients. However, they experience inconsistent work and cash flow, which means more responsibility, effort and risk.
On the other hand, a full-time Hospice Nurse has company-sponsored health benefits, insurance, and retirement plans. They have job security with a fixed, reliable source of income and guidance from their bosses. Yet, they may experience boredom due to a lack of flexibility, ownership, and variety.
When deciding between freelancing or being a full-time employee, consider the pros and cons to see what works best for you.
Moral distress and compassion fatigue are a regular feature of their psyche, but the role Hospice Nurses play in encouraging their patients to live life to the fullest in the time left to them makes their chosen career path a uniquely rewarding one.
“When a patient’s family tells you that you helped make their loved one’s passing so special for them, that is the satisfaction you get from hospice care that is unlike any other nursing field.”
Dr. Becca Gatian RN, Chief Clinical Officer
Although its goal is to provide end-of-life services to all patients for the last six months, 40% of patients are in hospice for less than seven days.
What do Hospice Nurses do?
A Hospice Nurse would typically need to:
Accredited
$95,823
