Congratulations! You’ve landed an interview with a hospice agency. Just remember, the interview is for both you and your potential new employer. The best questions for a hospice nurse to ask at the end of an interview might look a little different than in a traditional nursing interview.
While the interview is your time to show off your skills, it’s also your time to interview them as well. You should come prepared to ask a few carefully selected questions at the end of your interview.
When preparing for the interview, find at least 2-3 general questions that show your interest in the position. The last thing you want to do is appear desperate and unpaired. Do some research on the agency and check out their website. Try to avoid asking yes/no questions as they won’t give you as much insight into the agency.
General Questions to Ask in an Interview
- What qualities should a nurse in this role posses for them to excel?
- How would you describe the company’s culture?
If you want more detailed information about the agency then there are a few more questions that you could ask. I appreciate it when candidates are prepared and ask thoughtful questions.
Don’t get distracted by the images of hospice nurses as angels and the “calling” of this field.
Hospice nurses experience high levels of burnout. As a result, hospice agencies can experience frequent nurse turnover.
Hospice is tough.
Asking these questions upfront could save you from a lot of heartache in the future.
Hospice Specific Questions to Ask at the End of the Interview
How much orientation will I receive?
Even experienced nurses require training in hospice care. This might come as a shock to you, but some hospices don’t have a dedicated education department. In fact, some have no education department at all.
New hires may ride with nurse preceptors to visit the patient in the home, nursing home, or other settings. Most agencies have a combination of office and field training.
You should expect at least 4-6 weeks. Beware if you’re offered less than 4 weeks of training.
The least you can do is get adequate training. If you do not feel ready to come off of orientation, say so. Speak up for yourself because once the training wheels come off, it is hard to go in reverse.
I don’t want you to miss too many family events. It’s hospice so you need to know that you will disappoint your family and friends from time to time. Lack of training is one of the primary culprits that contribute to this. Avoid burnout!
Proper training will also help you avoid these three common mistakes that most hospice nurses make.
What are the on-call requirements?
Don’t let the 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. job posting fool you. Most hospices require nurses and managers to participate in the on-call rotation.
Some small hospices do not have a separate on-call team. Before you say yes, find out how many on-call days are required each month.
You will also want to know if you’ll be required to answer your own calls or if there is an answering or triage service that answers calls for you.
I once worked for an agency where the nurses were responsible for answering all after-hours calls. For instance, if a call came in to see when their next nursing visit was going to occur, then the nurse would have to look that information up. This could happen all weekend long in addition to being out in the field seeing patients.
You will want to make sure that the agency has a call/triage system in place to support you. If not, you might want to think twice before signing up with the agency. Your quality of life could decline quickly if not.
What are the average caseload and coverage area?
This question may seem like a direct question to ask during the hospice nurse interview, it’s meant to be. If this is too direct for you then you could also try asking “What does a typical day look like?”
This question is to find out how much you will be traveling and how many patients you will be expected to visit each week.
Many hospices cover a variety of counties and towns which means that you could be traveling a lot.
You might easily travel more than 100 miles per day to see your patients.
This can be difficult mentally when others on your team are covering nursing homes and only driving to a couple of places per day.
This also equals wear and tear on your car so you will want to be clear on this point.
How you plan your day will depend on how many patients you are responsible for.
What is the mileage reimbursement policy and rate?
Rates may vary between hospices. This is a serious question to ask during the hospice nurse interview.
The most important point is that you should NOT accept a position with an agency that does not offer mileage reimbursement or car allowance.
You will be in your car a lot as a hospice employee. This is different from driving to a hospital or nursing home and parking your car for eight hours.
For instance, I pay $77 per month to park in a garage. This is far cheaper than the $40+ I used to pay every couple of days when I was a hospice nurse in the field.
When you’re driving for hours each day, you can easily rack up 100+ miles per day. You will need to pay for all kinds of odds and ends.
Common Expenses You Can Expect
- You will need to replace tires and perform oil changes more frequently.
- Your batteries, radiators, tires, and more require routine maintenance and that can add up quickly.
- Cracked windshields. If you have a deductible, you will be paying for this and not your hospice agency.
- Towing, flat tires, and dead batteries
Pro Fact: You have to maintain active car insurance. The hospice agency does not pay for ANYTHING that happens to your car.
You pay for out-of-pocket costs if the agency doesn’t offer mileage reimbursement.
It’s reasonable to ask this question at the end of the interview.
Don’t be shy. If they don’t reimburse, they might offer a company car or even a lease program. Get the details and make sure you understand what you’re getting into.
Will I be paid hourly, salary, or per visit?
This might not be something that you have considered if you have worked in other clinical settings. After all, isn’t my paid just my pay.
This is not true in the hospice field. Hospice is a different beast.
According to Indeed.com, hospice nurses’ average salary is $79, 444 and they can expect to average an additional $10, 625 in overtime pay.
Pro Fact: Salary employees, who spend an additional 10 hours each week documenting, don’t get paid overtime.
I’ve seen nurses burn out because they are always working and when they average it out, they could make more money working fast food.
Do the math and if it doesn’t make sense, then don’t take the job.
Conclusion
So let’s recap.
Prepare questions to ask at the end of the hospice nurse interview.
Do your homework and ask about their policies and practices.
You are well within your rights to get answers to these questions. Don’t fall into the trap of only hearing about how wonderful the hospice agency is. It’s their job to make you salivate to become part of their team. I was once a recruiter and I was all too familiar with this scenario.
If you are a hospice nurse and have any other questions that you think nurses should ask, leave a comment and help a fellow comrade out.
Suggested Articles