To become a palliative care specialist, you must first complete the standard requirements for professional licensure in the health-care field. Following that, you may need to gain some practical experience in your field before beginning additional training in palliative care. The type of training you’ll need to become a palliative care specialist will vary depending on your profession and possibly even the jurisdiction in which you work. You may also want to volunteer in a hospice or with seriously ill patients before starting your training to gain experience in this field of medicine and determine whether palliative care is right for you.
People often choose to work as a palliative care specialist because they want to help seriously ill or dying patients. These doctors specialize in pain management and assisting patients and their families in understanding their medical options. Palliative care is sometimes included in hospice care, but not all patients receiving palliative care are dying or are expected to die. They are, however, frequently ill and in excruciating pain. In some cases, their medical options are severely limited, and there may be little hope of recovery, making it difficult to make appropriate treatment and care decisions.
As you start your health-care career, it’s important to be aware of the licensing requirements in the jurisdiction where you want to work. Physicians in the United States, for example, typically complete four years of medical school after earning their bachelor’s degree before starting a residency in a medical specialty. They may choose to pursue additional training in a sub-specialty of medicine, such as palliative care, after completing their residency. Physicians who have already specialized in a field of medicine may choose to pursue additional education.
Registered nurses can also pursue a career as a palliative care specialist. In the United States, this is usually done by becoming an advanced practice nurse with a palliative care subspecialty. A bachelor’s degree in nursing, as well as a graduate degree and specific training leading to advanced practice nurse licensure, are usually required to become an advanced practice nurse. However, the educational requirements for becoming a palliative care specialist as a nurse in other countries may differ significantly from those in the United States.