Question: What is the Work Environment for Hospice Careers?
Answer: Hospice care usually takes place in the patient's home, whenever possible. This enables the dying to remain in a familiar, comfortable environment. As a hospice nurse, you will essentially be making housecalls to the homes of very ill people to provide physical, emotional, and spiritual support to both the patients and their families. Therefore you should be comfortable driving around during the day and going into people's homes.
However if the patient's family is unable to care for the patient, there are in-patient hospice facilities, usually located on the top floor of a nursing ward or hospital (some say it's "closer to heaven"). An in-patient hospice has beds like a hospital, but that's about where the similarities end. There are no machines, and there are no restrictive visiting hours; family and friends are always welcome. The atmosphere is very quiet and peaceful. Most of the rooms are private rooms unlike a hospital, and in comparison to a hospital, an in-patient hospice has relatively few beds.
