Rozina Aziz Here is a detailed view of Hospice Nursing and unlocks the compassionate care that defines this noble profession. Dive into the responsibilities, qualifications, and incredible impact Hospice Nurses have on patients and their families.
What is a hospice nurse?
A hospice nurse is a nurse that cares for patients with terminal illnesses or prognoses that give them less than six months to live falls under the responsibility of hospice nurses. To ensure their patients’ comfort and quality of life towards the end of life, they give palliative care.
A dedicated and compassionate team of healthcare professionals collaborates seamlessly to deliver holistic care to patients and their families. This extraordinary team includes a home health aide, a caring social worker, a nurturing spiritual support counselor, a knowledgeable primary care physician, and an array of specialized experts. Together, they go above and beyond to meet the diverse mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of every individual under their care.
What are the specialties of Hospice Nurses?
If you’re interested in becoming a hospice nurse, you can focus on several subspecialties allowing you to serve specialized patient groups. Among these subfields are:
Triage Nurse:
When patients in their homes or hospices experience medical emergencies, the on-call triage nurses are the first to respond. After making a 911 call, they must determine whether the patient needs immediate assistance from another nurse, doctor, or specialist based on their condition.
Dietitian Nurse:
Dietitians are hospice nurses who prioritize food and nutrition for their patients. They keep an eye out for signs like an inability to drink and swallow or a loss of appetite and work to ensure patients get the nourishment they need throughout end-of-life care. To determine which meals and food types will be most beneficial to patients, they often assess their medications and treatment plans. Dietitians ensure that patients have access to nutritious meals that won’t compromise their treatment to maintain their strength for as long as feasible.
Contact nurse:
Throughout the hospice procedure, patients are frequently cared for by visiting nurses. They pay house calls or make rounds at care facilities to assist patients with daily activities like walking, treating wounds, and taking medications. Patients’ treatment progress is also monitored.
Managing a case:
Care plans for hospice patients are partly developed by case managers, who also guide nurses and other medical professionals on how to best provide care for each patient based on their unique circumstances. They may also coordinate with the patient’s loved ones to help them learn more about the hospice’s services. Patients have the option to request their case managers to arrange meetings with their spiritual leaders and counselors during their last days.
Nurse in charge of patient admissions:
When a patient enters the hospice unit in a hospital or other care facility, the compassionate admission nurse takes the honorable role of being the first guardian of the medical team, ready to provide tender care and support.
They can discuss the patients’ general health with doctors and assist in pinpointing any urgent medical needs. Family members may also be invited to a meeting to learn more about hospice care and how they can best support their loved ones during this time.
What does a hospice nurse do?
Hospice care is available for those individuals who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and have a life expectancy of six months or less. Many patients and their loved ones struggle to make sense of the time between when medical care is no longer provided and when the dying process begins. Hospice nurses strive to make this period more bearable by ensuring their patients’ continued comfort and high quality of life.
Palliative care is becoming increasingly popular as more individuals opt for it for themselves or their loved ones at the end of life. Due in large part to the aging of the baby boomer generation, an estimated 1.7 million Americans required hospice care in 2014.
What are the Skills of Hospice Nurses?
Hospice nurses must be mentally and emotionally resilient to comfort dying patients and their loved ones. One study found that compared to their traditional nursing counterparts, hospice nurses showed much higher levels of assertiveness, creativity, forthrightness, freedom of thought, and independence.
In addition to the technical competencies required of a nurse, hospice nurses should possess the following:
- Empathy
- Leadership
- Patience
- Self-Reliance and Dependability
- Ability to Communicate
- Respect for other cultures
- Emotional fortitude
- Compassion
- Creativity
What are the positive qualities of a hospice nurse?
Nursing generally takes compassion and bravery, but hospice and palliative care nursing demand even more. There is typically expected progress toward a goal in many areas of nursing practice. However, death takes many forms, and the finest hospice nurses must be empathetic, brave, and able to cope with ambiguity.
Hospice nurses are required to work in a wide range of settings. Most hospice care (58.9 percent in 2014) is delivered to the patient’s private home or residence because that is where the patient prefers to be. However, hospice care is also offered in other settings, such as hospitals, nursing homes, and community centers.
Each patient’s end-of-life care needs to be individually designed. Some of this care will have a medical focus, such as taking vital signs and managing pain or giving medications, but it will be more emotional. Most people struggle with the transition from life-prolonging treatment to palliative care on their own. Hospice nurses need to be present with their patients, listen to their needs, and guide them through the emotional, social, spiritual, and physical aspects of dying.
Where Do Hospice Nurses Work?
Patients admitted to a hospice program typically have a six-month prognosis or fewer. Because of this, hospice care is typically delivered to the patient’s home. Registered nurses specializing in hospice care will do the following:
- In a Nursing Home with Specialized Staff
- In a Nursing Home for the Elderly
- In a Medical Center
- At the Convenience of the Patient and their Family
- In a Hospice Care Facility
How to Become a Hospice Nurse?
If you feel called to work with the terminally ill, hospice nursing may be a good fit for you. The following are some of the most important requirements to become a hospice nurse:
Get a degree in nursing:
Earning a bachelor’s or associate’s degree in nursing is a good first step because it can prepare one with a grounding in fundamental patient care principles.
Train to become a nurse:
After finishing an undergraduate nursing program, the next step is to take the NCLEX-RN exam and become a registered nurse (RN).
Get Experience:
In order to be successful in hospice nursing, a nurse must have extensive direct patient care experience, especially with patients who are terminally ill or suffering from chronic illness.
education to the next level:
RNs can benefit greatly from continuing their education to hone their patient care abilities, improve their careers, and acquire new specialties.
How Much Does A hospice Nurse Make?
In 2021, hospice nurses can expect a median annual pay of $81,417, as reported by ZipRecruiter. One percent earns more than $138,000 per year. Hospice nurses in Hawaii make an average of $91,912 a year. However, this number varies greatly by state.
What is the Job Outlook for Hospice Nurses?
According to the BLS, there will be 276,800 additional positions for registered nurses between 2020 and 2030, a 9% increase in the RN market. The hospice industry has recently seen a huge influx of new nurses and other staff. Hospice nurses will continue to be in high demand as the average lifespan of terminally ill patients increases due to advancements in medical technology.
FAQ’s
What is a Hospice Nurse?
A Hospice Nurse is a specialized registered nurse who provides care and support to patients who are in the final stages of life or have a terminal illness. They focus on providing comfort and pain management while ensuring the patient’s emotional and spiritual needs are met.
What are the responsibilities of a Hospice Nurse?
Hospice Nurses are responsible for assessing patients’ needs, developing care plans, administering medications, managing pain and symptoms, providing emotional support to patients and their families, and coordinating with the interdisciplinary hospice team.
Are there any additional benefits or incentives for Hospice Nurses?
Additional benefits and incentives for Hospice Nurses may vary depending on the employer and location. Some common benefits include healthcare coverage, retirement plans, paid time off, flexible scheduling options, and reimbursement for continuing education.
What qualifications are required to become a Hospice Nurse?
To become a Hospice Nurse, you must first obtain a nursing degree (Associate’s or Bachelor’s), pass the NCLEX-RN exam to become a registered nurse (RN), and gain experience in a healthcare setting. Additional certifications in hospice and palliative care are highly recommended.
