Hospice Case Manager Nurse

Career Guide

A Hospice Case Manager Nurse coordinates end of life care for patients, usually in their home or a hospice facility. They assess symptoms, create a care plan, manage medications and equipment needs, and support family caregivers while aligning care with the patient’s goals and comfort.

Browse All Roles

Key Responsibilities

Complete patient assessments and ongoing reassessments
Create and update an individualized hospice care plan
Manage pain and symptom control in collaboration with the hospice medical team
Educate patients and caregivers on medications, comfort measures, and safety
Coordinate services such as home health aides, social work, and chaplain support
Document visits, changes in condition, and care provided in the medical record
Communicate care updates to the hospice physician and interdisciplinary team
Support advance care planning conversations and honor patient preferences
Arrange medical equipment and supplies needed for comfort and safety
Provide crisis support and triage for urgent symptom changes

Top Skills for Success

Patient Assessment

Pain Management

Symptom Management

Care Planning

Medication Management

Care Coordination

Patient Education

Family Support

End of Life Communication

Clinical Documentation

Time Management

Hospice Regulations Knowledge

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Senior Hospice Case Manager Nurse

Hospice Team Lead

Hospice Clinical Supervisor

Hospice Nurse Educator

Hospice Quality Specialist

Transition Opportunities

Hospice Admissions Nurse

Hospice Triage Nurse

Palliative Care Nurse

Nurse Manager

Clinical Nurse Specialist

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Advanced Symptom ManagementEnd of Life CommunicationHospice Regulations KnowledgeElectronic Health Record ProficiencyCare Coordination

Development SuggestionsAsk to shadow an experienced hospice case manager for several visits, practice structured family conversations, and take focused courses in hospice symptom management, documentation quality, and hospice regulations. Seek feedback from the interdisciplinary team on care plans and communication.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry LevelUSD 65,000 to 80,000

Mid LevelUSD 80,000 to 95,000

Senior LevelUSD 95,000 to 115,000

Growth Trend

Steady demand driven by an aging population, chronic illness, and growth in home based care. Hiring remains active across many regions, especially for nurses comfortable with field visits and complex symptom management.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

VITAS HealthcareAmedisys HospiceLHC GroupEnhabit Home Health and HospiceAccentCareGentiva HospiceCompassusHCA HealthcareProvidenceKaiser Permanente

Industry Sectors

Hospice ProvidersHome Health OrganizationsHealth SystemsNonprofit HospicesLong Term Care OrganizationsVeterans Health Services

Recommended Next Steps

Update your resume with measurable hospice outcomes such as reduced symptom crises, improved caregiver education, or timely care plan updates

Prepare interview stories that show comfort with difficult conversations, symptom changes, and caregiver support

Build a checklist for home visit efficiency covering assessment, teaching, documentation, and follow up tasks

Strengthen documentation habits by using consistent visit structure and clear symptom tracking

Network with hospice organizations and request informational interviews with case managers and clinical supervisors