Fill me in

Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN · Aug 7, 2011

I've been thinking about hospice nursing for years, since my father died and had excellent care with hospice.
Is is possible to work part-time or prn for a hospice doing home visits? What are the pluses and minuses of working in an inpatient hospice unit vs home visits?
If any of you know the Broward, Florida area, what are some hospices to check out or ones I should stay far, far away from? How to best apply for a job with a hospice....is it all online like most everything I've seen (I'm returning to RN work after time at home), or can you actually walk in and apply in person, or better to call and make an appt?
I'm enjoying reading this site and thought home health was where I wanted to go, but am leaning toward hospice now.

Lisa,

Yes, it is possible to work PRN in hospice. We have one RN who does this. She covers for vacations, sick days, etc. I've never worked inpatient, so I don't know much about it. I do home visits, but actually all of my pts are in a LTCF. I really enjoy working in hospice, it is the most satisfying job I've ever had. I like the fact that I get to spend time w/ my pts and families. It's nice to be able to spend more time w/ a pt who isn't doing well.

Our DON calls everyone who sends over their resume, even if we aren't hiring. She'll let them know she got it, but we don't have anything open at that time. She keeps them all and if a position does come up, she will try those people first. Most people just fax their resume, but some use snail mail.

I don't live in Florida, so I can't help you there, either. Good luck in your job search.