Thinking of applying to be a Hospice nurse...

[tiffany91]

Hello! I am a new grad. I graduated in August 2015 with my BSN. I immediately began working as a charge nurse in a LTC facility before I even passed my boards. When I passed my boards in September, I was set free and became the night time charge nurse. I really really like it. I always thought I wanted to be a L&D or NICU nurse but now I'm having a different thought. Being in LTC I see a lot of end of life and have worked along side many Hospice nurses. I love being able to be a family's support when they are going through a hard time. Before I take the plunge to leave my current job for a Hospice position I have a few questions....

1.) Is it scary at all to go into people's homes? What if the family lives in an unsafe neighborhood? This part scares me because Hospice nurses can be called out at any time of day or night.

2.) Do Hospice agencies consider new grads?

3.) How does the schedule work? Are you on call everyday you work?

Thanks in advanced!

[stylishgurl]

They don't usually hire new grads as you really need a foundation for decision making skills and communication.Schedule runs usually M-F 8-5 depending on how big is the agency they may have dedicated on call staff and you may not need to sign up for on call shifts.Mostly it is a salaried position and you serve as a Case Manager I did not really pursue it.Charting is extensive since it is regulated by Medicare/Medicaid It is not scary even in a bad neighborhood people respect you they do every means for you to be safe while giving the best end of life care to your patients.You can handle as much as 12-15 patients in different locations driving is massive

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

Most require 2+ years experience. Also, carrying narcotics to homes (most do in my area), and many people know it, can put you in potentially dangerous situations. Make sure you would know if that's the case if you do ever work hospice

[nutella, MSN, RN]

It really depends on the agency and area.

One in my area started a residency program for new graduates and so far it seems successful - they provide extensive training.

Otherwise you need solid experience.

Driving depends - if you mostly work in nursing homes you may drive less...

Scary? nope, not to me. People usually respect nurses. I never had to carry any narcotics as the pharmacy delivered them to people's home and they have an emergency kit at home.

On call was minimal but did happen occasionally.