If you’re driven by a passion to give the highest quality empathetic care to your patients, then a career in hospice might be the right fit. While it certainly comes with its challenges, hospice care allows you to work with an interdisciplinary team that is focused almost exclusively on the comfort and quality of life of patients.
As a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), referred to as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) outside of California and Texas, you can have a true impact on hospice patients and their families when they need it the most.
Curious to see what LVN hospice jobs are available near you? Or maybe you’d like to see a wider range of LVN jobs in your area? Credenza is here to help. With the nation’s leading job board for nursing professionals, we host a wide range of full-time, part-time, per diem, and contract LVN positions. You can also check out related roles such as LVN home health jobs and LVN wound care jobs. Find open jobs near you today.
Education, Certification, and Skills for Hospice LVN Jobs
Whether you’re interested in LVN hospital jobs, hospice jobs, or other LVN positions, you must first be qualified to work as a licensed vocational nurse in your state. That means successfully completing an LVN certification program from an accredited institution, passing the NCLEX-PN, and obtaining a license from your state board of nursing.
Beyond that, additional experience in post-acute or acute care settings is also helpful and can open up other additional training and certification opportunities to strengthen your application. The Certified Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurse (CHPLN) program, for example, is open to LVNs who have 500 practice hours in the past 12 months (or 1,000 hours in the past 24 months). Organizations like the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation (HPNF) even offer scholarships that can help to cover the cost of hospice-related certifications.
As you work on your technical credentials, don’t forget that this type of job requires nursing professionals who are compassionate and skilled in:
To get a better idea of the desired experience and qualities needed in hospice jobs, take a look at our sample job description for a hospice nurse.
Resume and Cover Letter for LVN Hospice Jobs
Ready to start applying? Before you send out your standard LVN resume, there are some quick and easy steps you can take to make sure it is uniquely curated for the position. For example, if an employer’s job posting is looking for an LVN that will “reinforce the teaching of end-of-life care to the patient/family members,” then you can include this terminology in your resume if it applies to your background.
This type of phrasing alignment helps your resume to get through the filters on an employer’s applicant tracking system and in front of the eyes that matter. But at that point, you may want to give employers a broader look at what you would bring to the table. That’s where your LVN cover letter comes in.
While your resume may have bulleted lists showing all of your qualifications, your cover letter is your chance to add more context about who you are — in your own voice. Use this opportunity to talk about things like:
- What brought you into the nursing profession.
- What motivates you in your daily nursing work.
- What learnings or experiences have influenced your nursing career.
- What value (and values) you will bring to the specific facility.
- Why are you committed to working in hospice.
Interviewing for Hospice LVN Jobs
Getting ready for an interview is often filled with some combination of excitement, anxiety, and stress. That’s common even for healthcare professionals with years of experience under their belts. Regardless of your experience level, preparation is always the key to a successful interview.
This starts with a better understanding of the organization you’re applying to, and what needs they’re looking to fill with an LVN. Understanding the employer’s goals can help you to shape how you talk about your experience and what you bring to the table. It will also help you to fashion more appealing answers to their questions and to develop questions of your own to ask during the interview.
Average Salaries for Hospice LVN Jobs
In California, the average annual salary for an LVN is around $82,340, and in Texas it’s about $62,770. While your pay will be based on any number of factors — like your education level, years of experience, care specialty, and skill set — your location also matters. Here are some of the states with the highest annual average salaries for LVNs/LPNs:
Want to get a better idea on what LVN salary levels are like in your area? Check out the latest job openings for LVN roles in all specialties on Credenza’s nursing job board.
Find Current LVN Hospice Jobs — on a Job Board Built for You
Finding the right nursing job on a job board that doesn’t understand your profession is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Want to see more options? Explore all the latest LVN jobs in your area.
