An Overview of Being a Hospice Nurse by Cory Justin Mann Michigan | Nov 26, 2024 | Cory Justin Mann Michigan, Healthcare & Medicine
When patients are terminally ill, they often want to leave the hospital and spend their final days at home. It can be overwhelming for family members to care for them, so hospice nurses come. Hospice nurses include the professionals who care for patients at the end of their lives. They might be Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurses (CHPNs) or Certified Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurses. Their role is to make sure that patients are comfortable for the duration of their lives, rather than working to prolong their lives.
Tasks of Hospice Nurses There are many different tasks in hospice nursing. They can work in hospitals, private care facilities, or the homes of patients. They often work for a third party rather than a hospital, and doctors connect them to their patients. They can serve different functions, from helping patients with admission processes to case managers who coordinate care. They might be visiting nurses who do routine care duties for patients, or they could be triage nurses who help with emergencies. Dieticians help set the diet, and hospital liaisons coordinate hospital visits.