Before Hospice

Specialties Hospice

Published

Hello, everyone.

I am considering nursing purely to be a hospice nurse. I hear that most hospices prefer nurses to have general experience first, which is understandable.

Can you tell me:

1) How long you worked as a nurse prior to your hospice job?

2) In what specialties you worked (or that you wished you'd have worked) prior to working in hospice?

Basically, I'm trying to get an idea of how much nursing experience is preferred by hospice employers before they'll hire you, and in what specialties I should work to provide me with a good foundation for hospice work.

(I admit it's almost pure torture to consider *not* being a hospice nurse immediately upon graduation, but I do want to provide the best care possible for my patients and their families, even if that means getting experience in a different specialty.)

Thank you!

amoLucia

7,736 Posts

Specializes in retired LTC.

Even before you start working, you will need to complete your clinical program's rotations. That requires you to exposure to nsg in areas other than hospice (and just FYI, not all programs have contracts for students to rotate to hospice care).

How do you anticipate completing that aspect of school?

pookyp, LPN

1,074 Posts

At my job you needed at least 1 year in a hospital or a skilled nursing facility for them to consider you. I'm glad they gave me a chance. I only had a month in a skilled facility before I ran outta there.

Guest941822

30 Posts

Even before you start working, you will need to complete your clinical program's rotations. That requires you to exposure to nsg in areas other than hospice (and just FYI, not all programs have contracts for students to rotate to hospice care).

How do you anticipate completing that aspect of school?

I anticipate completing that aspect of school... because I intend to complete school. But my career goal remains the same.

That being said, I won't poorly perform in another specialty simply because it's not where I prefer to be. I'll simply work towards my end goal, like anyone else would who has a specific career goal in mind.

Now back to my original questions.....

nutella, MSN, RN

1 Article; 1,509 Posts

1) How long you worked as a nurse prior to your hospice job?

More than 15 years ...

2) In what specialties you worked (or that you wished you'd have worked) prior to working in hospice?

Critical care, med/surg, dialysis...

A hospice nurse needs solid nursing skills, communications skills, and in my opinion at least some life experience. A lot of work is assessment and symptom control, teaching, and support. But you need to have really good assessment and critical thinking skills and that usually requires some solid nursing experience. In addition, you need to work in a team and document.

You need to be able to do proper calculations for pain management, and nursing skills like access of VADs, foley insertion, general nursing care, access pleurx, and and and.

In a home hospice setting you are by yourself and have a high level of independence, which requires ability to function autonomously.

In a hospice house you may have other professionals work with you but perhaps you are the only RN for the whole place.

While your goal of working in hospice is a great one, You will not be successful without solid nursing experience. A broad med/surg background would help with a lot of skills.

There is a hospice place in my area that offers a new graduate residency program for nurses without experience. I have heard that they are having good results but I have not talked to anyone who went to that program.

Guest941822

30 Posts

At my job you needed at least 1 year in a hospital or a skilled nursing facility for them to consider you. I'm glad they gave me a chance. I only had a month in a skilled facility before I ran outta there.

Thank you for your response!

Did you feel adequately prepared for your hospice job after only 1 month in an SNF?

amoLucia

7,736 Posts

Specializes in retired LTC.

OOKKAAY! Seems like you've given it some advance thought. That's cool. Many posters here don't and enter school with unrealistic expectations and then are totally bummed out when they have to complete areas of clinical practice not in alignment with their dreeeeam area of L&D or peds. (Like what, they have to do Psych?!?!)

I am detecting a wee bit of annoyed cynicism in your comeback - I wasn't being a smarty when I answered you. I responded seriously as those kind of expectations are posted here more freq in posts too numerous to count.

Generalized experience that Hospice nurses usually need includes a background that includes disease process progression, team cooperation, sensitivity, good communication skills and understanding the dynamics involved with grief & grieving/death & dying. A good reference source in that area would be to brush up on work by Kubler-Ross (she's a MASTER oldie but goodie. I so appreciate her work!).

PP nutella offers good info in that multiple years of experience make for the best hospice nurses. Adult care, chronic care, LTC, psych, community care, even specialization in adult or child care can color your direction. There are organizations for Hospice & Palliative Care Nsg, as well as professional publications. Check them out for more info - you might qualify for student fees.

Hospice is an atypical area of interest for a student nurse or novice. It is an area where passion for the field is so critical for care, for pts, family & practitioners.

Good luck to you.

Guest941822

30 Posts

1) How long you worked as a nurse prior to your hospice job?

More than 15 years ...

2) In what specialties you worked (or that you wished you'd have worked) prior to working in hospice?

Critical care, med/surg, dialysis...

A hospice nurse needs solid nursing skills, communications skills, and in my opinion at least some life experience. A lot of work is assessment and symptom control, teaching, and support. But you need to have really good assessment and critical thinking skills and that usually requires some solid nursing experience. In addition, you need to work in a team and document.

You need to be able to do proper calculations for pain management, and nursing skills like access of VADs, foley insertion, general nursing care, access pleurx, and and and.

In a home hospice setting you are by yourself and have a high level of independence, which requires ability to function autonomously.

In a hospice house you may have other professionals work with you but perhaps you are the only RN for the whole place.

While your goal of working in hospice is a great one, You will not be successful without solid nursing experience. A broad med/surg background would help with a lot of skills.

There is a hospice place in my area that offers a new graduate residency program for nurses without experience. I have heard that they are having good results but I have not talked to anyone who went to that program.

Thank you so much for your response! Very helpful!

I currently work as a CNA, which is my second career. I love working in healthcare. After working temporarily at a small hospice inpatient unit, I fell in love with hospice. I have been tinkering with the idea of pursuing nursing for some time, especially after working in hospice. But at my age I would hate not being able to work as a hospice nurse for another decade or more. And I certainly understand the need for solid nursing experience. These are all things to consider.

Thank you so much for your input.

Guest941822

30 Posts

OOKKAAY! Seems like you've given it some advance thought. That's cool. Many posters here don't and enter school with unrealistic expectations and then are totally bummed out when they have to complete areas of clinical practice not in alignment with their dreeeeam area of L&D or peds. (Like what, they have to do Psych?!?!)

I am detecting a wee bit of annoyed cynicism in your comeback - I wasn't being a smarty when I answered you. I responded seriously as those kind of expectations are posted here more freq in posts too numerous to count.

Generalized experience that Hospice nurses usually need includes a background that includes disease process progression, team cooperation, sensitivity, good communication skills and understanding the dynamics involved with grief & grieving/death & dying. A good reference source in that area would be to brush up on work by Kubler-Ross (she's a MASTER oldie but goodie. I so appreciate her work!).

PP nutella offers good info in that multiple years of experience make for the best hospice nurses. Adult care, chronic care, LTC, psych, community care, even specialization in adult or child care can color your direction. There are organizations for Hospice & Palliative Care Nsg, as well as professional publications. Check them out for more info - you might qualify for student fees.

Hospice is an atypical area of interest for a student nurse or novice. It is an area where passion for the field is so critical for care, for pts, family & practitioners.

Good luck to you.

I admit I was a little annoyed. Your response did seem smarty, but I understand where you're coming from now. I apologize.

Thank you so much for your input and advice. I do sincerely appreciate it.

klone, MSN, RN

14,786 Posts

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

My husband is a hospice nurse. I think he worked in a SNF for about six months, then moved to hospice and has been doing that for 10 years. If you have CNA experience with hospice, that's a good way to get your foot in the door with a good company.

Guest941822

30 Posts

My husband is a hospice nurse. I think he worked in a SNF for about six months, then moved to hospice and has been doing that for 10 years. If you have CNA experience with hospice, that's a good way to get your foot in the door with a good company.

I certainly wish I was still with them. They had only 10 positions in the unit, 2 of which were for CNAs. I was incredibly fortunate to get one, although I worked there only 4 months. Unfortunately, we had to relocate with my husband's job.

A recent experience with hospice in the illness and death of a family member has only intensified my desire to go back to school and pursue hospice nursing.

But hopefully that will look good to them when the time comes.

Thank you for your input!

Specializes in Hospice.

I was a new grad on an inpatient unit. I was very well prepared with the training ...plus I had been a hospice cna. I didn't stay more than 2 year . I was drawn to hospice for similar reasons but eventually as my grief evolved so did my career interests and I wanted a more diversified resume

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