Travel Hospice Nurse Salary And The Detailed Perks Of The Job

Hospice care was started when there were no treatments provided for serious ailments. Hospice care is a concept of care specifically designed to minimize the pain and suffering of dying patients and their family members. Furthermore, hospice care is the only wide comprehensive program that supports critically sick people in the United States. Hospice programs have the most accurate diagnostic screening facilities and life-prolonging treatments to provide relief from the symptoms.

Also, they educate sick people and their family members about the right care and comfort. Hospice care focuses on relieving symptoms of the disease and providing comfort, care, and emotional support to the patients and their family members. 

And since people working in hospice care do so much for the community, they sure earn decent salaries. Read more to dive deep into the work and income of a travel hospice nurse and discover various benefits they enjoy.

Duties Of A Travel Hospice Nurse 

Hospice care nurses focus on providing the same care that a patient would get if they were in a hospital, but the crucial thing that they focus on is comfort, care, and moral support. As a travel hospice nurse, you will be working with a team of medical experts, including doctors, licensed nurses, spiritual advisors, psychiatrists, and more. 

As a travel hospice nurse, your responsibilities would include the following: 

• Attending to the needs of the patient 
• Managing pain and irritable symptoms in the patients 
• Providing moral support and hope to the patient and their family
• Helping them to process the news of a loss in a dignified manner 
• Ordering medical supplies for hospice care 
• Obtaining equipment needed in hospice care 
• Performing assessments on the patients 
• Creating a treatment and care plan for the patients 
• Ensuring patient’s medications and administering them on time
• Working in coordination with the doctors and nurses 

Moreover, as a hospice care team leader in your facility, you will be looked at as a mentor and caregiver. Nursing assistants and ward boys will seek your guidance and instructions. You will be providing the patient’s family with a deep understanding of the illness and its effect on the patient. 

Difference Between A Nurse And A Travel Hospice Nurse 

The main difference between a hospital nurse and a hospice care nurse is that a hospice care nurse provides comfort and care as the patients are near the end of their lives. 

Hospital travel nurses work in various departments throughout the hospital. In contrast, the hospice care travel nurses work in the patient’s home and occasionally have to visit hospitals based on the needs of the patients. 

Furthermore, a travel hospice nurse may have to travel with the patient if the treatment requires it. Therefore the name is a travel hospice nurse. 

Requirements To Become A Hospice Travel Nurse 

Hospice travel nurses usually get projects that last for 8 to 13 weeks. But, sometimes, when the patient is critical, the projects can last up to 5 weeks. Also, if you love any specific location of your assignment, you can ask the authorities to extend your assignment.  

Therefore, the qualifications of a hospice care travel nurse include the following: 

• A registered nurse degree or associate degree at a minimum level 
• A state nursing license 
• Nurse licensure compact 
• Life support certification 
• Advanced cardiac support certification

Moreover, if you are going to collaborate with an agency, you should be a Certified hospice and Palliative nurse. Many agencies also require hospice care nurses to hold at least 2-3 years of experience. 

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Qualities Of A Travel Hospice Care Nurse 

People respect travel hospice care nurses and consider them unique. Therefore, the industry requires something special other than just medical knowledge and qualifications. Every hospice care nurse should be courageous and compassionate. Also, a hospice care nurse must be highly adaptable. 

Working in a hospice care environment will require you to get “comfortably uncomfortable” many times. You will be seeing critical patients dealing with accidents and life-threatening diseases. You have to be prepared to deal with the uncertainty of end-of-life care. 

Following are some essential qualities of a good hospice care worker. 

• A compassionate and kind person 
• A brave and thick-skinned person
• Can change one assignment to another easily
• Enjoys connecting with people 
• Helpful and empathetic 
• Is comfortable with helping someone in their final few days of life
• Can stay calm under pressure and in critical situations  

You have to imbibe the above-mentioned qualities to be a good hospice care nurse. 

Salary Of A Hospice Care Nurse 

According to reliable sources, a travel hospice nurse salary is an average of 82,000$ a year. This makes it one of the highest-paying jobs in the nursing sector. Also, it comes with various sets of rewards and packages that you will read next. 

Advantages Of Being A Hospice Care Travel Nurse 

A travel hospice care nurse enjoys every perk that registered nurses enjoy, but one of the best perks is that people respect you immensely. You make a meaningful difference in society and create an everlasting positive impression in patients’ and families’ hearts. 

It needs a skillful and immensely talented person to become a hospice nurse. You have great responsibilities to handle. As a hospice care worker, your role is to ensure that your patient is comfortable and that the family does not stress about their health and wellbeing. Alongside they must have compassion and kindness while dealing with the intense emotions patients need while caring at the end-stage of a patient.

Since travel hospice nurses bring so much to the table, they enjoy the following perks.

• Highest pay in the healthcare industry 
• 401K plans
• Flexible job assignments of 8, 13, 26, and 52 weeks long
• Flexibility to choose part-time and full-time roles 
• Benefits of working overtime and doing double shifts
• Different options payments weekly, daily, and advanced
• Sign-on and assignment completion bonuses
• Housing, travel, and meal expenses

The Bottom Line 

Travel hospice care nurses are respected in society, and they enjoy various perks with handsome salaries. Also, they are compassionate and courageous workers who work hard to give a comforting and memorable time for the dying patients. 

We are sure you have read this blog till the end, and you want an agency to place you in the hospice care sector. Reach out to the I’ Kare Consulting Firm, a staffing agency for hospitals and healthcare organizations. We endeavor our best to provide aspiring nursing students with the placement of their dreams. Or, if you are a healthcare recruiter or individual seeking hospice care, you can contact us and get the best hospice care services right on time.