Hospice Nurse Practitioner Jobs Overview
Hospice care involves helping patients and family members during some of the most challenging and emotional points in their lives. However, it also gives you the chance to do what you do best — comforting patients and giving them compassionate and patient-centered care when they need it most.
As an experienced nursing professional, hospice nurse practitoner jobs will draw upon your emotional intelligence and ability to communicate with empathy and veracity, in addition to your broader clinical skill set. Whether you’re looking to work in a hospice center, nursing home, hospital, or other healthcare facility, you can get more out of your job search with IntelyCare. Our nationwide nursing job board has the most recent full-time, part-time, contract, temporary, and per diem jobs for nurse practitioners like you.
Education, Certifications, and Skills for NP Hospice Jobs
Facilities looking to hire hospice care nurse practitioners will first look to validate your NP qualifications. As a type of advanced practice registered nurse, NPs must have advanced degrees — like a master of science in nursing (MSN) or a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) — beyond their bachelor of science in nursing (BSN), and must have at least one to two years of practice as an RN.
Next an employer will look to verify completion of the national board certification exam, as well as any specialty exams as required by your state. Keep that in mind as you search for palliative care nurse practitioner programs, as you’ll want to ensure that they are properly accredited and will prepare you for the practice requirements in your state. Also, once you’re licensed, remember that states have different scope of practice guidelines for NPs. Some states follow a reduced or restricted practice authority for nurse practitioners, while others allow NPs to have full practice authority.
Perhaps the most important certification to have attained as a hospice nurse practitioner is the Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (ACHPN). Before you can obtain ACHPN certification, you must have about 500 hours of hospice and palliative advanced nursing practice within the past 12 months (or 1,000 hours in the past 24 months). It could help to also have certifications such as the Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN) and National Institute of Health Stroke Certification (NIHSS).
Resume and Cover Letter for Nurse Practitioner Hospice Jobs
Once your qualifications, certifications, and skills are lined up, the next step is to find a way to present them to hiring managers and to demonstrate that you’re a candidate who will fit into their work culture and bring real value to their team.
The first step in doing so is crafting a nurse practitioner resume that not only highlights your experience, but also aligns with a facility’s specific needs. You can do so by noting the wording and phrases used in a potential employer’s job posting and mirroring them on your resume. This sends the right signals to hiring teams and also helps your resume filter through an employer’s applicant tracking system. For example, if a job posting states that candidates must have experience “performing face-to-face (F2F) patient visits to assist in determining hospice eligibility,” then this type of phrasing should also be in your resume, if it applies to you.
The next step is to prepare an NP cover letter that provides a deeper window into your experience and work ethic. Think of this document as a way to signal the type of employee that an organization can expect if they hire you. You can use your cover letter to:
- Describe what motivates you as a nursing professional.
- Explain impactful areas of your clinical background.
- Use examples to highlight skills that are relevant for the position.
- Give reasons why you think you would be a good fit for a specific organization.
Interviewing for Hospice NP Jobs
Once you’ve made it past the resume review phase, you’ll want to make the necessary preparations for your interview. This is where you’ll bring your written words to life and give your interviewers an in-person preview of the type of employee you’ll be.
Start the process by getting more information about your interviewer — learning about their educational or clinical background can help you develop a good rapport during your interview. Next, review some of the common hospice nurse interview questions so you know what to expect and how to shape answers that reveal your strengths. For other ideas of what to highlight during your interview, consider reviewing other hospice nurse job descriptions.
Salary for NP Hospice Jobs
As a nurse practitioner, you can expect an average annual salary of $128,490 (almost $62 per hour). However, there are a number of factors — such as your experience level, specialized training and certifications, and geographic location — which will determine what you can earn in any particular job. To help guide your job search, here are some of the states where you can earn a higher average salary as an NP:
Want even more information about what kind of hospice nurse practitioner salary you can expect in your area? IntelyCare’s nursing-specific job board has the latest job openings across the nation.
Ready to Accelerate Your Search for Hospice Nurse Practitioner Jobs?
If you’re ready to take the next step in your healthcare career, we’re here to help. With years of experience matching nursing professionals to the right jobs, we can speed up your job search. Check out the latest NP jobs on our job board today.