Unlike other careers in healthcare, hospice care may not be delivered in a designated facility. Hospice care is a philosophy for patient care for those with life threatening or end-of-life illnesses. The actual care may be delivered in the patient’s home as well as a hospital or extended care facility or hospice center. Several members of the hospice team may be included in the care delivery: nurse’s aides, LPNs, RNs, social workers, chaplains, the patient’s physician and volunteers.
It takes a special person to devote their career to delivering hospice care. However, it is a very rewarding as well as challenging career. Some of those in the field make new friends for life from the family members of the person needing the care.
Like all healthcare careers, these medical professionals must be compassionate for their patients. If you want to learn more about hospice care careers, here are some important things to know:
- The people involved with hospice care. As you can imagine, with so many different members of the team, the job descriptions vary. Some of the most common hospice care careers include the hospice physician, the hospice registered nurse case manager, registered nurse, certified nursing assistant (CNA), hospice social worker, therapist and chaplain.
These different occupations in hospice services have different but related roles. The physician is the one in charge of administering palliative care to the patients, and is responsible for giving check-ups to monitor the conditions of the patients. They should work in cooperation with the patient’s regular physician. The hospice nurse care manager ensures the smooth daily operations of the hospice, and the registered nurses, assisted by the CNAs, give hands-on regular care to the patients. The hospice therapists provide different services that the patients may need. Some of the usual therapies provided in hospices include speech-language therapy, music therapy, physical therapy and massage therapy. The hospice social worker is responsible for helping the patient and his families come to terms with his condition; they also act as a counselor to the patients and their families. The hospice chaplain is there to offer spiritual support and encouragement to the patients, families and hospice staff. Volunteers may sit with the patient at the end of life to provide respite for the family. - Education requirements vary. All of these vocations require a high school diploma or GED prior to beginning the program. CNAs require completion of a training program at a community college or vocational technology school. These classes are usually 12 to 16 weeks in length. There are also classes online. Whatever route you choose, make sure that you will be eligible for certification.
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) education takes one year and is usually taught at a community college or a vocational technology school. Licensure after graduation is accomplished by passing the state licensing test.
Registered nurses (RN) have two different educational paths they may take. The first degree is an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) and will take two years to complete. The second path is the bachelor’s degree (BSN) and will take four years to complete. Both degrees will require that you pass the same licensing examination to be able to practice. Some hospice programs require a master’s degree in nursing (MSN) or Advanced Practice Nurses (APN), which will require an additional two years of schooling beyond the BSN.
Social workers must have a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) as their entry level and that requires four years of college education, although it is fairly common for those in the field to go on for their master’s degree in social work (MSW). They too are required to pass a licensing examination to practice.
Chaplains have a master’s degree. One of the programs is a master’s in divinity (M. Div). The program will also include four quarters of Clinical Pastoral Education or CPE. Ordination is necessary before the chaplain can practice. - Get your license and keep it up to date. As noted above, several of the professions require licensure before practice is allowed, and this is true in all 50 states. Additionally, there may be continuing education requirements needed to keep the license current.
- Certifications you’ll need. There are various certifications that are available for those in hospice professions. The National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses offers certification for Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) RNs, LPNs and CNAs as well as hospice administrators. The National Association of Social Workers offers the Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Social Worker (ACHP-SW). Other certifications are available for other disciplines in the hospice field.
- Salaries depend on the job title and other factors. Salaries vary widely in hospice work depending upon the discipline you are in, the amount of education you have and the area of the country where you live. Physicians’ salaries are the highest and range from $120,000 to $250,000 a year depending upon board certification and the number of years of experience. Social workers’ salaries range between $29,000 and $69,000. An APN’s salary ranges between $57,000 and $120,000. RN salaries range between $38,000 and $68,000. LPN salaries range between $35,000 and $41,000. The median range for a CNA’s salary is $24,000. Chaplain salaries range between $37,000 and $67,000.
- Future opportunities. Job prospects in the hospice field look to be strong for the next 10 years with a 21% growth rate expected. There may be some rearranging where hospice care occurs during this time frame as more hospitals get involved with palliative care.
Being a hospice worker is very rewarding. You will be assisting people when they need help, compassion and strength the most. You will not only be helping the patient but also their friends and families. There are many different paths to take to get involved in this rewarding career. Nursing, social work, chaplains, as well as other professions that weren’t discussed such as music therapist, pet therapist, physical therapist and dietitians all help patients in hospice care. Remember, being successful at this profession all starts with having a compassionate heart and a willingness to become educated.