A hospice licensed practical nurse (LPN) is vital in end-of-life care, offering profound medical and emotional help to patients grappling with life-limiting illnesses. Discover new depths of empathy and quality care by taking the opportunity to be a traveling hospice LPN. You can experience the satisfaction of doing a job you love, explore different places, and, of course, earn a substantial income.
Interested in traveling as a hospice LPN? Browse travel hospice LPN jobs at outstanding facilities across the country and find your fit.
Hospice LPNs deliver compassionate care to patients when a disease, such as advanced cancer, has reached a point where curative treatment is no longer effective. They typically work under the direction of a registered nurse along with a team of palliative health care professionals, collaboratively managing the patient’s symptoms. This ensures that the patient’s final days are spent with comfort, dignity, and quality, surrounded by their loved ones.
Hospice LPNs can work on shifts, providing continuous care to a single patient, or intermittently, traveling to care for multiple assigned patients in a day. They facilitate the initial hospice assessment for terminally ill patients, contribute to the plan of care, may perform rehabilitative nursing procedures, and identify the types of counseling and care the patient’s caregiver and family will need before, during, and after the patient’s passing.
Administer prescribed medications to manage pain and symptoms during the hospice experience
Provide emotional and psychological support to hospice patients and their families
Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team, including doctors, social workers, home health nurses, and spiritual advisors to develop and implement a personalized care plan for each patient
Guide families on how to care for the patient and what to expect in the final stages of life
Provide comfort, support services and counseling to loved ones during the nursing process and after the patient's passing
With opportunities for travelers all over the country, we’ve selected areas with the most popular medical traveling jobs to help you find your best fit.
Travel nurses are the backbone of medical traveling. Pay transparency means you can see what you'll actually get paid before you even apply.
Level-up, nurse. Get your state licenses and travel nurse requirements reimbursed.
Travel nurses qualify for a weekly, tax-free per diem that can help you cover the cost of moving, like your transportation, meals, and other expenses.
See new spaces. See new faces. Grow and learn in your nursing career as you grow and learn in various cities all over the country.
Being a travel LPN is a great way to grow your experience and learn on the job. What if your dream travel assignment is asking for certifications you don’t have? Don’t sweat. You’ll get training in nursing and financial assistance for the cost of licensing and certifications!
Keeping up with the world of licensing and certification can be intimidating. Degrees and certifications depend on your modality and specialty but getting compliant for your home state and others you want to travel to are easier as a medical professional. Compliance experts work with your recruiter and employers to ensure that you have all the relevant credentials required for any and all travel nursing jobs.
Some of your compliance requirements are the same across the board, but there are others that will depend on your specialty in nursing.
The three parts of compliance
Occupational health records: Required immunizations and health examinations
Documentation: Tax forms, insurance paperwork, and licenses
Testing: Certifications, online training, and workplace safety exams
To become a professional nurse traveler, you must have earned a degree or diploma from an accredited school of nursing and hold current LPN licensure. it is recommended that travel nurses have 12-18 months of hospital-based experience in their field. Depending on the specialty or the specific requirements of the facility, the required job experience could be longer.
The compensation for licensed practical nurses (LPNs) working in the hospice care field varies based on their years of experience, areas of expertise, and geographical location. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for an LPN was $48,820 per year or $23.47 per hour in 2020, with most earning between $37,260 and $63,360. Entry-level LPNs, or those in the lowest 10% salary bracket, earned around $34,560, while those in the top 10% earned more than $65,520. Hospice travel LPN jobs typically offer higher hourly and weekly pay than permanent positions in the same locations.
Hospice travel LPN jobs can be found in hospitals, private care facilities, nursing homes, and private homes where end-of-life care or palliative care is being administered. While hospitals do employ LPNs for patient care, the majority are employed by specialized end-of-life care companies. Many hospice LPNs are required to commute to patients' homes, which may require things like reliable transportation, auto liability insurance, and a valid driver's license.
To further their nursing care skills and professional credibility, LPNs in hospice care often pursue specialized certifications. This might include Certified Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurse (CHPLN), offered by the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC). Other relevant certifications include Wound Care Certified (WCC) and IV Therapy Certification.
Hospice home health LPNs must also be up-to-date on their CPR certification, such as Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).
Travel nursing is beneficial because it exposes you to different regional nursing procedures and patient populations, provide the opportunity to explore new specialties, and gain experience learning a new clinical environment quickly. Plus, with Fusion's great perks and full benefits package, it's a great career move.