How to Become a Hospice Nurse – 5 Easy Steps

How to become a hospice nurse

Being a hospice nurse requires you to go to school so that you’re educated. You’re going to deal with the death of the patients that you’re going to be working with.

Not being properly trained in a hospice nursery can literally be the difference between life and death.

Of course, just like every job in the medical industry, you need a license so that you can give the proper medical advice to patients who are suffering.

Just like every nurse you need to go to medical school, however, you’re not going to be spending as much as a doctor would in school.

You only spend four years for your undergrad and then training so that your employer knows that you are the right person for the job.

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How to become a hospice nurse with 5 steps

Steps on how to become a hospice nurse

Compared to other jobs in the medical industry, becoming a hospice nurse is a lot simpler but can be just as difficult in many cases.

The purpose of their job can be just as essential as a nurse that is assisting with the birthing process.

How to become a hospice nurse?

The most obvious first step is going to school.

For the most part, all you really have to do is go to school and you will mostly have the credits that need to move up.

Depending on where you go for your education, it can become a bit more difficult. You should be able to get this without much effort compared to the next steps.

Getting an education at med school is definitely the lengthiest part of getting the job, but then you have to go through training.

Usually, the training is going to be paid, but you’re going to be trained to see the process to see what the tasks you’re going to complete on the job will be like.

The last step is to actually be a nurse but then be supervised for a year.

This can be somewhat frustrating to be watched after all this time, but it’s paid and the staff can help to correct any mistakes that you may make.

1. Achieve an ASN or BSN Diploma

An associate in the science of nursing or bachelor of science diploma in nursing is very difficult to achieve, but they’re well worth the effort if you want to help people.

These both help you become a registered nurse in the workplace but there are some key differences in the medical field.

See also: ADN vs BSN Salary, Competencies, and Pros and Cons

However, both of these diplomas are going to help you work as a nurse just about anywhere in the world.

Choosing one of these options should be seen as more of a preference rather than something that’s going to radically change your career path.

The ASN is a two-year program and generally, you’re going to get it from a school that won’t charge you near as much as a 4-year university would.

That alone provides a massive advantage when comparing the lives of two students who are going to be studying nursing.

That doesn’t mean the future nurse getting their nurse won’t have to make up that time, but that option does give them a lot more freedom to do other things in the future.

With the BSN, you have the support of an entire university to be able to assist you in your studies.

2. Take and pass the NCLEX-RN

These kinds of tests that decide whether you’re able to get a medical license can be very intimidating, but someone who’s been studying nursing for years should be afraid of what’s in this exam.

Going to college for years means that you probably have some textbooks that can assist you in achieving the result that you desire.

Those books have been written by medical professionals and talk about the key essentials.

They are not only great for helping you pass the test.

They also have a lot of value to go in the real medical world.

It’s best to take practice tests so that you are better prepared for the real thing.

You’re going to have a limited amount of time when you take the test, so being able to know how to divide your time properly will work wonders when you actually go to do the real thing.

Having friends that are also becoming nurses can be a big help.

This can help you develop a lot of the skills it takes to able to know what you’re doing in a shorter amount of time.

3. Get involved and learn from others

Nursing is a job that benefits a lot from the support of others.

There’s not a single person on earth that can run a hospital let alone a medical clinic all by themselves.

They need support from their staff to be able to get the proper assistance to get everything done on time.

These rules can also apply when you’re doing your job.

You may have certain tasks throughout the day, but talking with the people that you’re working with is the best way to get things done time-wise.

It also ensures that the proper nurse is being delegated for the purpose that they have.

4. Pass the hospice and palliative nurses certification exam

Even if you have the knowledge it takes to become a medical professional you still have to take the exam so that you’re able to perform in the hospital.

Working on these tasks can be really complicated, and getting the people who know what they’re doing is the only way to make sure that society is healthier.

This is why it’s recommended that you refer back to your textbooks to help you pass the exam.

You can also refer back to the people who you studied with in college.

They are going to help you in your weaker areas be able to fix any flaws you have in the test-taking process.

5. Apply for work in hospice care facilities and units

Applying for a new job can be somewhat stressful but getting a job as a nurse will be a big change in your life.

A lot of the actions you take around your life are going to change and your relationship with your healthcare insurance company is surely going to change.

See also: Do Nurses Get Health Insurance?

Usually, you can just apply on the hospital’s website and list your qualifications.

Hospitals can usually use more staff so you’ll probably get a callback.

This can definitely be intimidating but getting work after telling them that you’re a good citizen and telling them that you’re educated will help your chances of advancing other parts of your career.

See also: Do Hospice Nurses Stay Overnight?

How long does it take to become a hospice nurse?

Becoming a hospice nurse is certainly going to take a lot of dedication to be able to achieve. This can take up to 5-6 years which is around 1/20 of your total life span.

It’s something that you should only do if you’re ready to commit to it as a career.

There are going to be times when you may want to do something else with your life and that option isn’t really there with becoming a hospice nurse.

There are going to be some nurses who it’s the perfect career for them and won’t mind the 6 years it takes to get this job.

See also: Interview Questions for Hospice Nurses

How to be a good hospice nurse?

Becoming a good hospice nurse is about listening to the patient.

As educated as you are on all of the different textbooks you may have read, you still have to listen to the patient and their experience as a person living in this world.

Becoming a good hospice nurse is about combing those two concepts and using that to do good for the patient.

Most nurses are only good at one of those aspects.

But to do well in both the medical field, you have to realize your flaws and apply yourself that makes things better for all patients you’ll see in the future.

See also: How Often Does Hospice Nurse Visit?

Conclusion: Why be a hospice nurse?

Being a hospice nurse could be a bit depressing if you’re not used to the suffering of others.

See also: Why Do You Want to Be a Nurse Interview Question

Being in the position would allow you to provide services such as life support to other patients.

See also: Are Nurses First Responders?

It’s not an easy thing to accept that someone that you care about is dying.

But your job is to make sure that this process goes as smoothly as possible.

The hospital has a lot of responsibility in taking care of the patient which is why the requirements are very revered.

Despite doing the bulk of the work in the hospital, nurses are not paid nearly as much as their doctor counterparts.

However, hospice nurses are paid a lot more than other positions in the hospital.

Being able to make $50K starting your job is certainly good and will change the lives of most people when they get to experience that pay.

This job is also more knowledge-based than constantly working for many hours when compared to other nurses.

Now you know how to become a hospice nurse. Hope you enjoyed reading this article.

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About Ida Koivisto, BSN, RN, PHN

Ida is both a registered nurse and public health nurse. Her passion is to provide as much valuable information about nursing to the world as possible. In her spare time from work and blogging, Ida loves to work out at the gym and spend time with relatives.