Palliative Care NP job

[kbj1125]

am currently working for a physician in a SNF/LTC/ ALF setting. I do love my job and the challenge but the documentation is so tedious!!!! I currently have to pay for my own health insurance (330/mo) and don't have many other benefits . I have $500 CEU dollars and 2 weeks vaca. I get paid monthly (which I hate) but otherwise love the work that I do at the facilities as it is a variety of things ; I am on call about 2-3x a month ranging from 60-90 calls per 24 hour call!!! I have the flexibility to go in when I want and leave when I want which is nice for the personal life.

However, I have been offered a Palliative Care job w/ a company with amazing benefits and going to the homes/ SNF/ ALF's seeing patients. I honestly had to research palliative care because I didn't know much about it. On paper, this job still provides the flexibility I need but with amazing benefits (like 30 days PTO to start) and same salary with own cell phone, laptop, advancement. I would be saving 3k a year just in insurance payments alone! Not sure I would be happy until I try it right????

Does anyone do palliative care and can give me some insight on your day to day job?

[MikeFNPC, MSN]

I work alongside (not the same company) some palliative care NP's. They tell me that there's great pay, flexibility, and benefits. They also tell me that the physicians they work under are micromanages who are constantly scrutinizing notes. They see 4-5 patients a day, driving up to 100 miles a day depending on how the scheduler arranges the visits based on location. It doesn't appear to be very challenging though, at least not like what you're seeing now. What I would do is talk with other NP's who are working there already.

[kbj1125]

Thanks Mike! They would split our county in half so the driving wouldn't be so bad-

[dmatthewb]

I am currently an RN working in hospice. Will graduate with my MSN FNP in about a year or so. I am considering staying with my current hospice after graduation. I live in Texas about 2 hours from Dallas and will make about $105,000 in my area plus benefits. You will love hospice and you can't beat the benefits you listed! Best of luck!

[TammyG]

Hospice and palliative care are very different. In hospice, the NP's mainly do face-to-face visits (repetitive and boring) with some on call and symptom management. You cannot bill your time except in certain rare circumstances, such as when you are chosen as the attending physician.

Palliative care is a Medicare-billed practice where you visit non-hospice patients in their homes or facilities. Many hospices have a palliative care practice, because these patients eventually get referred to hospice so it is seen as a business builder. You focus on comfort, managing agitation in dementia, that type of thing.

Palliative care of home patients is known as a huge time suck, because there are typically multiple providers that you need to coordinate with. It is not unusual to spend 8–10 hours after your first visit just doing coordination and documentation. Many practices will not do palliative home care, because it is impossible to make any money. You can only bill Medicare for the visit, not the travel and only a small amount if any of the coordination time. It is a more feasible practice and facilities.

And palliative care in acute care facilities is a whole different world.