Hospice and Palliative Care Careers

This page, created by the Next Generation Leadership Council, offers a quick look at the exciting and dynamic career opportunities available in the hospice and palliative care field. As the US population continues to age, home-based care for those living with serious illnesses will only continue to increase in demand and importance, making it a growth-oriented and mission-driven field for young professionals.

About Careers

Compassionate Careers: Toolkit for the Introduction of Hospice and Palliative Care into Higher Education Programs

This toolkit provides step-by-step guidance to advocate for higher education programs to include hospice and palliative care topics in their curriculums. This important initiative is aimed at increasing overall awareness of the benefits of hospice and palliative care, as well as gaining interest in the career paths available in this field. This introductory toolkit guides you each step of the way and is a complement to the downloadable PowerPoint presentation linked below.

Educational PowerPoint Presentation: Hospice and Palliative Care Careers 101

Complementary Resources

• Hospice and Palliative Care 101 | An Introduction to Compassionate Careers: This comparative document provides an overview of the different types of serious illness care available.
• Clinical Job Profiles
• Non-Clinical Job Profiles

Hospice and Palliative Care Career Testimonials

Click on the featured quote to read more.  

• Dawn Britt, RN – “Hospice is the reason I am a nurse.”
• Erin Bond, DNP, FNP – “As a Hospice Nurse Practitioner, I am involved in some of the most critical moments of a patient and his/her family’s lives.”
• Jaycee Ray, RN, BSN – “My multitude of years in this specialty has lead me to find my passion again. I get to give patients exactly what they want to enjoy the life they have left.”
• Jennifer Terstriep, RN – “What I love about working in palliative care and hospice is the difference that I see in patient’s faces and their families, it is a picture of relief and gratefulness that is priceless.”
• Liz Allan – “It is an honor and a privilege to be part of the hospice community.”
• Wendy Hodson – “I am allowed to be a part of people’s lives during one of the most delicate times. I am able to connect to humanity on the deepest level on a daily basis.”

Income Potential and Market Outlook

A Growing Market

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | Careers in Hospice

Sustainable Career Paths

• Becker’s Hospital Review | Nurse Tenure in Major Cities

Unique Benefits of Home-Based Care

• Autonomy of Work Environment: Hospice and palliative care field staff have the flexibility to schedule visits with patients based on their own needs and the needs of their patients. Unlike in acute care settings or physician offices where hours are fixed, this enables care team members to manage day-to-day items like school or daycare pickup, important appointments, and more.
• Leading Patient Care through Case Management: As a case manager, the clinician takes the lead in identifying and addressing patient needs, effectively communicating these needs with other hospice and palliative care team members and the patient’s primary physician and care team. Unlike many other care settings, the nurse and other care team members serve as the eyes and ears of the physician, playing an integral role in each patient’s care plan.
• Purpose-Driven Work: As the number of aging Americans continues to grow, it is critical now more than ever that we fortify the future of care in the home. Our aging population increasingly wants to age in place and receive supportive care on their own terms and in the comfort of their own home. At the same time, the field faces workforce shortages for those who want to receive care in their home.

About the Field

Facts and Figures Report, 2024 Edition: Facts and Figures is the leading resource for anyone interested in understanding the work of the hospice community. The annual report includes key data related to the delivery of hospice care, including information on patient characteristics, location and level of care, Medicare hospice spending, and hospice providers. The 2024 edition of Facts and Figures was released on September 10, 2024, and reflects 2022 data, the most recent data sets available.

Patient and Family Testimonials

Click on the featured quote to read more.  

My brother and Amy decided that they would pursue palliative care for her. She would receive physical therapy and clinical visits to help her with the challenges the disease was causing her body. They really wanted to be able to take their planned trip to the Outer Banks, NC, over the 4^th of July. It was their happy place. A place where Amy felt relaxed, joyful, and at peace with the world around her. A whole group of people were going to be traveling down to spend the 4^th of July with them. The palliative care team helped make that trip possible through their care and planning. Amy, Jason, and my little nephew Jase got to go on that trip and make some wonderful memories together, including taking family photos on the beach.

– Personal story submitted by Alliance member

More About Hospice and Palliative Care

CaringInfo.org is a free resource that offers information about hospice, palliative, and other types of care and support to empower patients and caregivers to make decisions about serious illness and end-of-life care and services. Learn more about hospice and palliative care, and the differences between the two.

This comparative document authored by the Next Generation Leadership Council also provides an overview of the different types of serious illness care available.

Connect With Us

Learn more about the National Alliance for Care at Home.