Truth be told, hospice nursing is not the highest-paid among nursing specialties. In fact, some nurses who work in hospice care facilities feel that they’re underpaid, considering all the intricate nursing interventions they have to provide to their patients.
However, passion plays a role in why some nurses choose to provide end-of-life care. They consider hospice nursing as a “calling”, and salary is not the single factor why they’ve chosen it as a career.
Nevertheless, nurses still have a family to feed so learning more about hospice nurse salary is one way of knowing whether or not this nursing field can support their needs and fulfill their passion at the same time.
Factors Affecting Hospice Nurse Salary
Hospice nurses receive variable salaries. Hourly rates and annual salaries differ depending on the hospice nurse’s responsibilities, location, length of experience in the Nursing profession, and a host of other factors.
A case management nurse, for example, receive a higher salary than admission nurses who only conduct as needed patient visits and complete the patient’s assessment data.
In the U.S., most case management nurses provide comprehensive patient care and also play the roles of triage and visit nurses. Those who work in hospice centers or hospital-based hospice care units are paid higher than those who work in home care.
Location and experience also play a critical role in determining the average hospice nurse salary. To give you an idea, here are some of the highest paying cities for hospice nurses:
- Monterey, Ca: $41.73
- Dallas, TX: $39.37
- Lansing, MI: $38.68
- Cincinnati, OH: $38.19
- Allentown, PA: $38.08
- Riverside, CA: #37.93
- Las Vegas, NV: $37.34
- Cleveland, OH: $36.85
- Spearfish, SD: $35.05
- Jacksonville, NCL: $33.22
Also Read: Hospice Care versus Palliative Care – What’s The Difference?
Average Hospice Nurse Salary
The average annual hospice nurse salary in the US as of September 2018 is between $65,269 and $80,946. As mentioned, the numbers may vary depending on the company, experience, industry, and location.
Hospice nurses who work in cities or states with a higher cost of living mostly receive higher salaries. For example, hospice nurses in New York may receive $88,383 annual salary plus all tolls/mileage.
Also Read: Hospice Nurse Job Description – What Does A Hospice Nurse Do?
Final Word
Hospice nurse salary may vary but one thing is for sure: money is not enough to compensate all the emotional and spiritual perks that this Nursing field has to offer.
Hospice nurses enjoy doing their jobs without even thinking about their salaries which are not usually enough, considering all the sleepless nights they have to endure. Plus, they spend countless hours holding a dying patient’s hands and comforting the relatives that have been left behind.
Needless to say, hospice nursing is one of the most fulfilling Nursing fields you can ever come across. That, alone, is priceless.
