Matt Whittle has experience writing and editing accessible education-related content in health, technology, nursing and business subjects. His work has been featured on Sleep.org, Psychology.org and NurseJournal.org.
Matt Whittle Education WriterMatt Whittle has experience writing and editing accessible education-related content in health, technology, nursing and business subjects. His work has been featured on Sleep.org, Psychology.org and NurseJournal.org.
Written By Matt Whittle Education WriterMatt Whittle has experience writing and editing accessible education-related content in health, technology, nursing and business subjects. His work has been featured on Sleep.org, Psychology.org and NurseJournal.org.
Matt Whittle Education WriterMatt Whittle has experience writing and editing accessible education-related content in health, technology, nursing and business subjects. His work has been featured on Sleep.org, Psychology.org and NurseJournal.org.
Education Writer Brenna Swanston Deputy EditorBrenna Swanston is an education-focused editor and writer with a particular interest in education equity and alternative educational paths. As a newswriter in her early career, Brenna's education reporting earned national awards and state-level accol.
Brenna Swanston Deputy EditorBrenna Swanston is an education-focused editor and writer with a particular interest in education equity and alternative educational paths. As a newswriter in her early career, Brenna's education reporting earned national awards and state-level accol.
Brenna Swanston Deputy EditorBrenna Swanston is an education-focused editor and writer with a particular interest in education equity and alternative educational paths. As a newswriter in her early career, Brenna's education reporting earned national awards and state-level accol.
Brenna Swanston Deputy EditorBrenna Swanston is an education-focused editor and writer with a particular interest in education equity and alternative educational paths. As a newswriter in her early career, Brenna's education reporting earned national awards and state-level accol.
Deputy EditorUpdated: Aug 3, 2023, 4:42pm
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When patients experience terminal health conditions, they may seek palliative care or pain management as they prepare for end-of-life scenarios. Palliative care nurse practitioners (NPs) offer compassionate care to patients with life-threatening illnesses in hospitals, patients’ homes and hospice care environments.
Along with treating physical symptoms and making healthcare plans for patients, these professionals help individuals and their families navigate the stressful emotions of chronic illness. Palliative care NPs collaborate with physicians to create a comfortable end-of-life experience for their patients.
Discover step-by-step instructions on how to become a palliative care nurse practitioner, including education and licensure requirements.
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Palliative NPs care for patients living with chronic conditions. They seek to improve patients’ quality of life during any period of a disease or to manage pain related to terminal diagnoses. Palliative care patients seek treatment to reduce symptoms related to life-threatening illnesses or other conditions.
NPs in this specialization work in many settings, including patients’ homes, local clinics, nursing homes and large hospital systems. They provide care by administering medications, educating patients and navigating emotions relating to traumatic events. Palliative care NPs are compassionate problem-solvers with solid communication skills to deliver top-level care to vulnerable patients.
Palliative care NPs’ daily responsibilities include treating patients’ symptoms through medication and pain management, advising individuals and families on care options and addressing emotional needs. As advanced practice registered nurses, NPs have a broader scope of practice than registered nurses (RNs). As such, NPs can provide diagnoses and order treatments for patients, which RNs cannot.
Though some employers refer to palliative care nurse practitioners as “hospice NPs,” hospice and palliative care roles are not always the same. Both roles aim to reduce pain and other uncomfortable symptoms for patients with chronic health conditions. However, hospice care refers explicitly to end-of-life scenarios where patients no longer have curative care options or opt to forgo treatment.
Palliative care relieves symptoms and manages pain related to chronic conditions throughout any stage of a disease, whether the patient seeks curative options or not. In short, palliative care may overlap with end-of-life situations in hospice care, but hospice care always occurs in the final stages of life.
NP programs typically seek candidates with bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degrees. These four-year undergraduate programs explore nursing topics like case management and health promotion to prepare students for RN licensure and nursing employment.
RN licensure requires candidates to hold at least an associate degree in nursing (ADN). Individuals with ADNs and RN licenses can pursue bridge programs to fast-track their path to bachelor’s-level and advanced nursing degrees.
After earning a formal degree, aspiring NPs must pursue RN licensure. On a national level, nurses earn their licenses by passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). This rigorous exam uses multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank and other formats to test nursing candidates on their clinical decision-making and nursing knowledge.
State requirements for RN licensure vary but typically include completing background checks, undergoing fingerprinting and providing transcripts. Renewal standards also vary among states, but most areas require continuing education.
Not all schools or employers require RN experience before pursuing NP education and employment. Still, prospective nurse practitioners can use this time to explore various nursing focuses before committing to an NP specialty.
A palliative care NP needs to complete an advanced nursing program—either a master of science in nursing (MSN) or a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree. There have been efforts to make DNPs the minimum requirement for NPs by 2025, but this requirement has not taken hold for prospective palliative care NPs.
However, nurse practitioners seeking terminal degrees can pursue a DNP. These programs demonstrate that individuals have completed the highest level of education in their field.
NP licensure also varies based on state-level requirements, as each location may stipulate a different scope of practice and requirements for advanced nurses. For example, many states grant full-practice authority to NPs, allowing them to work without supervision or physician collaboration.
However, other states use “reduced practice” authority, which limits NPs’ ability to prescribe medications or operate independently. Other states require strict supervision under physicians for certain tasks.
Aspiring NPs must research state requirements and apply to their respective state boards for advanced practice licensure. Palliative care nurse practitioners become licensed as board-certified advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). While some licensing criteria may vary by state, all states require a passing score on a national nursing board certification examination in the applicant’s specialty area.
Palliative care NPs can pursue additional specialized certification as Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (ACHPN) through examination with the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC).
Other certification requirements include 500 hours of relevant experience in 12 months or 1,000 hours of experience in the 24 months before exam registration. ACHPN candidates must also complete graduate coursework in advanced health assessment, pharmacology and pathophysiology.
Other available certifications for palliative care apply to experience level and patient focus. For example, the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center features certified hospice and palliative pediatric nurse and advanced palliative hospice social worker certified credentials.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not provide salary data for palliative care nurse practitioners but does track annual earnings for professionals providing in-home healthcare services, which is a major industry for palliative care NPs.
According to the BLS, as of May 2022, NPs working in home healthcare earn a mean annual income of $148,960. Palliative care NPs within this industry can anticipate similar take-home pay.
The BLS projects nurse practitioner employment to grow at a staggering rate of 46% from 2021 to 2031. Nurse practitioner employment is positioned to grow by about eight times the rate for all occupations.
Nurse practitioners in palliative care assist patients in receiving treatment for chronic conditions or terminal illnesses. They administer medications, monitor patients’ vital signs and comfort levels, and help navigate emotional and spiritual difficulties for patients and families.
Though the BLS does not track salaries specifically for palliative NPs in California, the bureau reports that, as of May 2022, nurse practitioners earned an annual mean wage of $158,130 in California.
