Hospice Nurse Job Description Template

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Written by Katherine Zheng, PhD, BSN Content Writer, IntelyCare
A hospice nurse reads a book to one of her patients.

Hospice nurses are trained to provide end-of-life care to patients who have six months or less to live. Contrary to curative care, hospice care requires a particular focus on palliative measures that help patients manage symptoms and feel more at ease. Writing a targeted hospice nurse job description is crucial for finding candidates with the right skills and qualifications needed to carry out this role.

To facilitate your recruitment process, we’ve outlined a hospice care nurse job description template detailing example benefits, responsibilities, and qualifications. We recommend pairing your job posting with thoughtful interview questions to narrow down the best candidates for your hospice team.

Hospice Nurse

Tips: Your hospice registered nurse job description should start with an introductory summary of the role. Briefly state the type of position you’re looking to fill and list any notable distinctions that set your facility apart from others. You can also weave in any essential qualifications to ensure you’re catching the attention of the right applicants.

Template:

[Facility name] is looking for an experienced registered nurse (RN) to join our downtown hospice center. We’re proud to provide exceptional palliative care services while offering ample career development opportunities for our nursing team.

By joining our facility, you can explore your passions at your own pace with the resources and benefits you need to succeed.

Benefits

Tips: Now, it’s time to back up your introduction by outlining all the unique perks that your facility offers. This section should outline the most notable aspects of your employee benefits package. Applicants will likely be comparing and weighing the benefits of different job opportunities, so it’s important to highlight this section as accurately as possible.

Template:

  • Competitive pay with $15,000 sign-on bonus
  • 401(k) matching
  • Health insurance (with dental and vision)
  • Generous paid time off (PTO)
  • Continuing education (CE) credits
  • Clinical career ladder program

Duties and Responsibilities

Tips: This section of the hospice nurse job description should give applicants an idea of what they’ll be expected to do on the job. Make sure you detail duties that are unique to hospice care. You may also add an additional bullet point that broadly encompasses other essential nursing duties at the end of your list.

Template:

  • Provides end-of-life care for individuals based on personalized care plans and preferences, as directed by supervising provider
  • Informs appropriate supervisors of any changes in a patient’s conditions and needs
  • Consults patient and family through the hospice care process and updates family on a regular basis
  • Completes and maintains relevant clinical notes regarding patient’s condition and care
  • Attends regular interdisciplinary meetings with the care team
  • Carries out nursing duties in compliance with all local, state, and federal laws

Compensation and Schedule

Tips: Now that your prospective applicants understand what the job entails, they’ll be looking for more details about the anticipated salary and schedule. Keep in mind that hospice nurses may be looking at opportunities across home health agencies, nursing homes, and hospice centers. So, it’s helpful to be as specific as possible when discussing the work location and hours.

Template:

  • Pay range: $75k-$95k/year
  • Full time (30-40 hours/week)
  • Night shifts (8pm-6am)
  • Location: Our downtown hospice center in [insert city, state]

Skills and Qualifications

Tips: In this section, you’ll want to outline the hospice nurse skills you’re looking for in your potential candidates. Differentiate between required and preferred hospice nurse qualifications to ensure you’re not unintentionally excluding any suitable candidates.

If you’re running a home health agency that requires travel, remember to include relevant requirements about transportation. We’ll add an example on how you can word this below.

Template:

  • Active RN license in [insert state] required
  • Associate degree or higher from an accredited school of nursing required
  • 2+ years of experience working as an RN required (hospice experience preferred)
  • Must have reliable transportation to travel to and from patient locations
  • Must have a strong understanding of how to deliver culturally competent care
  • Hospice nurse certification preferred

Call to Action

Tips: At the end of your hospice nurse job description, you’ll want to explain the application instructions for candidates who are interested in taking the next steps. Include a concise call to action that links to your application portal or outlines details on how to apply. You can also include a final selling point about your facility or the role.

Template: Are you ready to further your career as a hospice nurse alongside a passionate team of skilled professionals? Click here to start your application today.

Recruit High Quality Nurses Who Meet Your Needs

Now that you have a solid hospice nurse job description written, it’s time to start narrowing down candidates for your team. Short on time and resources? IntelyCare has your back. Connect with us today and find out how we help facilities fill job openings with ease and precision.