Hospice / Palliative Care Nurse – Career and Education Profile

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Not every disease can be cured. As a hospice or palliative care nurse, you’ll work with patients who are dying to provide the highest quality of live possible.

Job Responsibilities

Hospice nurses, also called palliative care nurses, work to ensure that a patient is as comfortable as possible. At this point, the patient is no longer treated, but is instead offered help with pain management. Your tasks may also include providing companionship, helping patients work with lawyers to prepare wills and otherwise prepare their estates, assisting mental health doctors who help patients deal with fear and depression, and more. You could work as a home health care nurse in this field for patients who are able to live out their lives at home or you could work in a hospice facility, which provides round-the-clock care for patients as they near death.

Salary and Career Options

Hospice nurses make around $50,000 annually, according to reports, but this figure depends on a number of factors including your location, your level of education, and whether you are a home health care nurse or work at a hospice facility. You can also make more money by specializing in a certain kind of illness, as some facilities are specifically set up to help patients who are all dealing with the same medical condition.

Educational Requirements

As a hospice LPN, you’re only required to go through a short program to earn certification, but you can make more money and work in better jobs if you go back to school to earn an associate of science in nursing or a bachelor of science in nursing. The hospice field is also a great place for nurse practitioners, a type of advanced practice nurse that requires you to have at least a master’s degree. As an RN with experience working in this field, you can choose to seek certification from the National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses if you wish.

LPN to RN College Programs

With some additional schooling, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) can become a registered nurse (RN), opening doors to more job opportunities and higher salaries. The following is a list of schools with the best online LPN to RN degree programs offered by accredited colleges. You can request information by clicking the college's logo.

LPN to RN (BSN)	Indiana State University—ISU’s LPN to BSN degree program is the only online LPN to RN training program in the United States. LPNs and LVNs who complete this program can earn their NLNAC-approved Bachelor of Science degree in nursing entirely online. Upon completion, graduates should meet all of the prerequisites for becoming an RN. Read an in-depth review of Indiana State University.
LPN to RN LPN to ADN LPN to BSN	The College Network—Earn your LPN to RN (ADN) degree completely online with no campus attendance and no wait list. Learn from the convenience of home at your own pace, and earn an NLNAC-accredited associate’s degree in less time and for less money than traditional campus programs. Read an in-depth review of The College Network.
	Select a subject and degree level, then click "Find My Degree" to browse 100+ online nursing schools offering relevant accredited programs.
BS in Nursing RN to MSN MSN in Nurse Education MSN in Nurse Informatics MSN in Nurse Management	Walden University—Founded in 1970, Walden University is dedicated to providing education for a higher purpose. The Nursing School confers degrees at the bachelor’s and master’s level, which provides further study in health informatics, nursing education, and nursing leadership/management. Walden is one of the biggest providers of online master and doctorate programs with over a hundred degrees offered at each level.
RN to BSN MS in Nursing (MSN) MSN in Adult Health RN to MSN in Nurse Education Accelerated RN to MSN	South University—South University’s College of Nursing offers numerous degree programs for aspiring nurses. Those looking for a BSN degree can enter into the RN to BSN and complete it within 18 months. South also offers the following master’s degree-level programs: MS in Nursing (MSN), MSN in adult health nurse practitioning, MSN in nurse education, and an accelerated RN to MSN.
RN to BSN RN to MSN MSN in Nurse Administration MSN in Nurse Education	Kaplan University—Kaplan University’s RN to BSN and RN to MSN programs feature curriculums that provide registered nurses with the tools to graduate with BSN and MSN degrees. The MSNs in Nurse Administration or Nurse Education feature curriculums that teach methods in management and education in order to prepare students for leadership and educator positions with in the nursing field.