Hospice Nurse

Hospice Nurse qualifications to look for 

Hospice nurses are registered nurses who provide end-of-life support to terminally ill patients. This is done in a care facility or the patient’s home. They are very compassionate nurses who believe in the hospice philosophy and can handle the burden of losing patients. 

 📌Don’t forget: Check local legislation as licensure requirements vary per location and job description. 

Keep an eye out for candidates who are:

• Mentally resilient 
• Strong communicators
• Good with people 
• Detail-oriented
• Compassionate
• Strong advocates
  

Top tip: Hire candidates willing to grow by making sure their personal career goals align with your company's mission.

Role-specific interview questions

• How do you handle the emotional challenges of being a hospice nurse? 
• Why is hospice care important? Why did you get into this line of work? 
• What other healthcare professionals should a hospice nurse collaborate with? Why are these relationships important? 
• How do you handle stress? What do you do to unwind after a stressful day? 
• Explain the difference between routine and GIP care.
• When do you administer morphine to patients? How do you go about making this decision? 
• What does a peaceful death look like?

Behavioral interview questions

• Tell me about a time you felt great satisfaction with your job. What was the situation and how did it make you a better nurse? 
• Tell me about the first time you lost a patient. How did you handle it and how did it change you? 
• Describe a time you had difficulty getting the patient’s family to accept their upcoming death. What are the steps you take to ease a family’s burden? 
• Have you ever faced a family in denial about a patient’s condition? How did you manage the situation?
• Recall a time a patient started panicking. What was the situation and how did you calm them? 
  

Problem-solving interview questions

• How do you handle the situation when a patient dies and their family isn’t around? How do you take care of the patient and inform the family? 
• How do you work with a patient who complains frequently? 
• What do you do if a DNR patient just died and a panicked caregiver tries to perform CPR on them?
• What do you do if you suspect that a family member is stealing the patient’s medication?
• What do you do if a family member tries to convince the patient to continue treatment that stopped at the patient’s request?