Intermediate to Hospice Nursing?

[Jackie, BSN, RN]

Hi everyone,

I just graduated nursing school and am currently waiting to receive an NCLEX test date (finishing up VATI right now). While I wait, I've been applying to jobs and recently got one in an intermediate care residency. In school, I was placed in CVU the most for my clinicals and preceptorship, so I think that's why I was placed there. I'm not sure what other areas fall under the category of "intermediate."

I went into nursing in order to become a hospice nurse. It's my understanding that hospice nurses most often need two years of critical care experience in order to become a hospice nurse. If this is true, I have the opportunity to potentially go into critical care, but I'd rather stay with intermediate if I can still get into hospice afterwards.

Any information on this would be extremely helpful! Thank you!

-- Jackie

[toomuchbaloney]

I don't know about 2 years experience in critical care, but at least one year of general nursing experience is wise for a field case manager in hospice.

I hired nurses from all sort of backgrounds. It really is about the ability of that nurse to function competently and safely and with autonomy in the field...and that is hard for a new grad who hasn't probably even assessed 100 patients total and then is expected to be in a home alone with a frightened symptomatic patient and frantic family wanting answers to their questions.

[QuiltDog]

I agree. I explain to candidates that you need a familiarity with more than the terminal diagnosis. We look at the whole patient, so you are dealing with the patients hypertension, diabetes, etc. Having good assessment skills is critical.

[TammyG]

I actually think that a critical care background is not as helpful as med surg or oncology, though others may disagree. It is certainly not a requirement. Most hospices require 1-2 years of nursing experience, but not all. I don't know of any hospices that require critical care experience. We actually have quite a few former ICU nurses on our staff, but I think that is more a factor of the futility they experienced trying to care for dying patients on the ICU.