I have my certification in Hospice and Palliative nursing. I would recomend to give yourself a full year in med surg and/or oncology. You will be in situatuons by yourself and want to be able to give the best care possible. Start learning all you can now about comfort care. It won't take much to know more than most doctors. The pay is generally better, but it is hard for benifits to compare with larger institutions. There is usually call time involved in addition to regular hours. It is field that has made me feel like I have truly made a difference in my patients lives. I love it and hpe you will also!