NP for Hospice

[lesrn2005]

I have been a R.N. for 3 years. 1st 8 months, I worked on a busy acute care med-surg floor right out of nursing school. Then moved on to case manager/field nurse for a rural Hospice company. Have been there for 2.5 years. This is my niche and I'm interested in nurse practitioner for this company. I will be finishing by BSN in 2 semesters and have been reading all of the threads and would like to do Palliative care NP. I have read that Univ of Alabama (I believe) has this program. My questions is: Do I have enough or the right experience to do this for Hospice? Advice, please!!! Thanks.

[hospicenp]

If you have experience as a Hospice RN, you should go ahead with the NP. BUT you should get your NP as either Adult NP, FNP, or GNP. Many states don't recognize the Palliative care NP as good enough for licensure. You can still use hospice for clinical experience, and after you work for a year go ahead and take the certification exam. But don't limit yourself to Palliative Care NP or you will box yourself into too narrow a corner. I've been a hospice NP (GNP) for 3 years and it is the best work I've ever done. Good luck.