A comprehensive guide on how to earn your hospice nurse certification, including fees.
A hospice nurse provides primary and attentive care to incurably ill patients or those with life-limiting illnesses. A registered or licensed practical nurse (RNs or LPNs) must take a hospice nurse certification exam to become a certified hospice and palliative nurse.
The exam is a voluntary and periodic certification that helps ensure a high standard of palliative and hospice care in a hospice facility and the delivery of quality nursing care to the patients. A candidate has to meet the requirements set by the National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses (NBCHPN) to qualify for certification.
To become a hospice nurse, you should first enroll in a nursing school. Depending on your long-term goal, you can either complete a state-approved licensed practical nursing program, which usually lasts for a year, or obtain a bachelor's degree in nursing, which typically takes four years. If you're going to school part time, then completing a program may take longer.
After training, LPNs must pass the NCLEX-PN exam, while nursing degree graduates must pass the NCLEX-RN licensure exam. You can enroll in a state-approved training center or college that offers hospice nurse certification programs in your area.
Your next step is to enter an internship at a nursing or hospice care facility. The NBCHPN recommends that all applicants for the CHPN and CHPLN certification exams have at least two years of experience in the relevant care program as a LPN or as a registered nurse.
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Next, apply for the certification exam. You can access the application process on the NBCHPN website or complete and mail the application form included in the handbook, along with the appropriate fee to Applied Measurement Professionals Inc.
The handbook is available for download on the NBCHPN website. Paper applications are usually processed within two weeks.
The exam fee for initial candidates who are members of Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association is about $295, while the fee for nonmembers is around $415.
An LPN can take the Certification for Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurses, while registered nurses can take the Certification for Hospice and Palliative Nurses. An RN is also eligible to take advanced certifications or become a certified hospice and palliative pediatric nurse.
Some nursing homes may offer to pay for the hospice certification for nurses who are renewing their certifications.
Finally, study for and take the exam. The exam consists of 150 multiple choice items, with 135 items eligible for equal scoring and 15 unscored trial or pretest items. You are permitted to take the exam for three hours.
Certification candidates may have the opportunity to take a practice computer examination prior to the actual exam. You can download the certification handbook on the NBCHPN website to get a general impression of the exam and to get access to sample questions and the exam's detailed content outline.
While a hospice certification establishes your credential on paper, a person who intends to be a bona fide hospice nurse must also be compassionate and caring. Being able to cope with emotionally stressful situations while maintaining a quality life for your patients is key to becoming a good hospice nurse. The right personality and temperament for this type of job may not be taught in school and can't be assessed by a hospice nurse certification exam, but you can certainly develop these qualities during your training as a hospice nurse.
Photo credit: A hospice resident by squishband via Compfight CC.