Student considering hospice

[INFJ]

Hi. I'm about to begin my Senior year of BSN school. I am considering Hospice Nursing as one of my options. Does Hospice usually hire new grads? If not, where could I get my best experience in order to be hired in a year or so?

Any info would be helpful!

Thanks!

Amy

[HisAlone]

I personally found that most hospice organizations (and home health agencies) prefer that you have at least a year on the floor to get you up to speed on your skills. I would recommend telemetry or oncology but I think medsurg would be acceptable as well.

[Penguinurse]

I personally found that most hospice organizations (and home health agencies) prefer that you have at least a year on the floor to get you up to speed on your skills. I would recommend telemetry or oncology but I think medsurg would be acceptable as well.

I agree - there's no place like a medsurg. unit, including tele or oncology, to cement the basic skills you'll need for any specialty area you decide to go for down the road. Get your basics down, then you can build on them when you go to hospice nursing.

[hospice LPN to be]

Hi. I'm about to begin my Senior year of BSN school. I am considering Hospice Nursing as one of my options. Does Hospice usually hire new grads? If not, where could I get my best experience in order to be hired in a year or so?

Any info would be helpful!

Thanks!

Amy

I just graduated from school, and got my first job in a residential hospice house. At my interview, they told me that they used to require 2 years med surg experience, but have begun to hire people who have the hospice calling. That, combined with a good education are what they are primarily looking at during the interview process. I'm grateful for their outlook since I always wanted to work in hospice and could not get hired at a hospital in my area. I've taken a lower rate of pay, no sign on bonus and straight nights, but I'm going to be doing what I always wanted and I consider that a worthy trade for now. By the way, my Hospice has a 90 day orientation involving going out for home visits, social workers, admission team, bereavement follow-up...very thorough. I'm not being thrown into the deep end like some of my fellow grads and for that I'm grateful.

[INFJ]

Thanks everyone for the feedback! I think that I will probably follow the advice of you guys and most of the other nurses that I've talked to and try to get some med-surg experience before anything else. I believe that having the solid background will lay a great foundation for me to further my career in hospice or whatever I choose for it to be!

:) Amy