What Are My Career Options in Hospice Administration?

<p>Hospice offers end-of-life care for patients and their families, provided in their home or at a dedicated hospice facility. There are several types of administrative positions with a hospice organization. </p> <h3 id="section---ImportantFactsAboutHospiceAdministration">Important Facts About Hospice Administration</h3> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><th> </th><th> Hospice Administrator </th><th> Nurse Case Manager </th><th> Bereavement Coordinator</th></tr> <tr><td> Median Salary* </td><td> $92,583 (2022)</td><td> $76,691 (2023) </td><td> $48,225 (2022)</td></tr> <tr><td> Similar Occupations </td><td> Clinical Manager, Customer Service Manager </td><td> Primary Care Registered Nurse, Nursing Director </td><td> Hospice Chaplain, Medical Social Worker</td></tr> <tr><td> Job Outlook (2021-2031)** </td><td> 28% growth for medical and health service managers </td><td> 6% growth for registered nurses </td><td> 12% growth for social and community service managers</td></tr> <tr><td> Key Skills </td><td> Operations and people management skills </td><td> Communication and evaluation skills </td><td> Counseling skills</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *PayScale.com, **U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)</i> </p> <h3 id="section---HospiceAdministrator">Hospice Administrator</h3> <p>As a hospice administrator, you manage the programs and care provided to hospice patients. Your duties include recruiting and hiring hospice personnel, planning and implementing policies, fundraising and evaluating hospice programs. </p> <p>To work as a hospice administrator, you may need a master's degree in healthcare administration or a combination of a bachelor's degree and experience. Healthcare and hospice associations and organizations provide certificate programs and continuing education courses in hospice administration. To demonstrate your knowledge and abilities in hospice administration, you could earn an administrative credential, such as the National Association for Home Care and Hospice's Certification for Home and Hospice Care Executive credential (<i>www.nahc.org</i>). </p> <h3 id="section---HospiceRegisteredNurseCaseManager">Hospice Registered Nurse Case Manager</h3> <p>As a hospice registered nurse (RN) case manager, you assess hospice patients' needs and coordinate their care. You are the primary liaison between the hospice and patients' families. You collaborate with other hospice team members to evaluate patients' care plans on an ongoing basis; you also oversee a team of nurses and make sure that they're providing care that meets regulatory standards. In addition to your supervisory duties, you perform regular nursing duties, such as patient intake interviews, blood draws, medication administration and on-call rotations. </p> <h3 id="section---BereavementCoordinator">Bereavement Coordinator</h3> <p>As a bereavement coordinator, you contact families who have recently lost a family member or loved one in hospice care. You inform families about their options for grief support, including specialty support groups or follow-up services. You may also be responsible for training and supervising bereavement volunteer workers. A bachelor's degree and related experience in the field may be required. </p> <h3 id="section---VolunteerCoordinator">Volunteer Coordinator</h3> <p>Hospice volunteer coordinators recruit and train hospice volunteers to work with patients or perform other duties. As a hospice volunteer coordinator, you're responsible for developing volunteer training programs that meet standards of hospice care. You assign volunteers to roles that match their interests and evaluate their work against regulatory standards.</p>