Lead Hospice RN - Espanola/Los Alamos

Red Willow Hospice

Espanola, New Mexico

Eligibility: Palliative CareEnd-of-life CareSign-on bonus
Unit: Hospice

Posted Jul 21

Unit and setting: Hospice
License: RN licenseCurrent RN license (New Mexico or compact state)
Term: Permanent

Do you qualify?

License: Current RN license (New Mexico or compact state) Check your license
Certification: BLS
Also asks: Strong clinical judgment and assessment skills
Also asks: Proficiency in EMR documentation
Also asks: Familiarity with ALF, LTC, and home-based care environments
Also asks: Excellent communication and time management

Preferred

Experience: Experience in hospice, palliative, or end-of-life care preferred
Experience: Bilingual or culturally responsive care experience a plus

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What it pays

Against similar roles: Below most New Mexico staff postingsNew Mexico staff postings that state pay run $68k/yr to $124k/yr, the middle half $94k/yr to $106k/yr, across 422 postings.
Sign-on bonus: $8,000

Benefits

Health savings account
Dental insurance
Health insurance
401(k)
Paid training
Mileage reimbursement

More benefits (5)

Tuition reimbursement
Paid time off
Paid orientation
Vision insurance
Life insurance

The workplace

Red Willow Hospice

Hiring organization

Organization profile

Worth asking

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What should I expect for shifts, weekly hours, weekend, holiday, call, and rotation?

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Your fit

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On your path

Hospice is a specialty you move into. Med surg, oncology, or home health is the usual door in.

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Original listing

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Paid Milage at IRS Rates

$8,000 sign-on bonus

About Us

Red Willow Hospice is a community-rooted, values-driven organization dedicated to enhancing end-of-life care through compassion, mindfulness, and clinical excellence. We honor our patients' beliefs, empower families, and foster dignity in every interaction. Our team thrives in a supportive, innovative environment where growth and heart go hand in hand.

Our Mission

To improve quality of life for people and their loved ones by providing access to quality end-of-life care supporting physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs to the greatest extent possible.

What We Offer

Modern office setting and relaxed atmosphere
Flexible scheduling
On-the-job training
A team culture built on community, dignity, diversity, and acceptance

Position Overview

As the Lead Hospice RN for the Espanola/Los Alamos area, you'll provide nursing care to patients facing advanced illness by stepping in to support our interdisciplinary team during periods of increased need, staff coverage, or urgent visits. This role is ideal for nurses who value flexibility, autonomy, and meaningful patient relationships. You'll deliver compassionate care in a variety of settings while upholding the highest standards of clinical and emotional support.

Responsibilities

Provide direct nursing care in accordance with individualized hospice plans
Perform focused assessments and symptom management
Document visits and in EMR systems with regulatory accuracy
Educate patients and families on hospice philosophy and care expectations
Collaborate with physicians, social workers, chaplains, and aides
Serve patients in homes, assisted living facilities (ALFs), long-term care (LTC), and community settings
Uphold patient dignity, comfort, and autonomy

Qualifications

Current RN license (New Mexico or compact state)
Experience in hospice, palliative, or end-of-life care preferred
Strong clinical judgment and assessment skills
Proficiency in EMR documentation
Familiarity with ALF, LTC, and home-based care environments
Excellent communication and time management
Bilingual or culturally responsive care experience a plus
BLS

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Espanola, NM 87532

What's around it?

In Espanola, NM

Espanola, NM

Living costs about 8% below the US average

Life in Espanola, NM

NeighborhoodsEspañola functions as a regional anchor for the Española Valley, where residential living ranges from modest subdivisions along Sunset Drive and North Railroad Avenue to surrounding rural enclaves. Many professionals working in the area also look to outlying valley villages such as Pojoaque, Nambe, Chimayo, Truchas, and El Rito, which offer scenic acreage and traditional adobe-style properties situated against the Sangre de Cristo foothills.

Española functions as a regional anchor for the Española Valley, where residential living ranges from modest subdivisions along Sunset Drive and North Railroad Avenue to surrounding rural enclaves. Many professionals working in the area also look to outlying valley villages such as Pojoaque, Nambe, Chimayo, Truchas, and El Rito, which offer scenic acreage and traditional adobe-style properties situated against the Sangre de Cristo foothills.

Sources

As of Sep 16, 2026Source 1: reddit.com Source 2: areavibes.com Source 3: valbriergroup.com

Getting aroundEspañola is highly car-dependent, serving as a key vertex in northern New Mexico's commuter triangle connecting Santa Fe and Los Alamos. Drives between Española and Santa Fe typically take around thirty minutes along the highway corridor, while access to Los Alamos via the main hill routes takes a comparable amount of time. Local public transit exists via bus service connecting stops along North Riverside Drive and Los Trujillo Road, though personal vehicles remain essential for shift workers.

Española is highly car-dependent, serving as a key vertex in northern New Mexico's commuter triangle connecting Santa Fe and Los Alamos. Drives between Española and Santa Fe typically take around thirty minutes along the highway corridor, while access to Los Alamos via the main hill routes takes a comparable amount of time.

Local public transit exists via bus service connecting stops along North Riverside Drive and Los Trujillo Road, though personal vehicles remain essential for shift workers.

Sources

As of Sep 16, 2026Source 1: areavibes.com Source 2: valbriergroup.com Source 3: newmexico.org

OutdoorsSet near the confluence of the Rio Grande and the Rio Chama with views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the area offers immediate access to fishing, hiking, and rural scenery. Within town, Valdez Park provides municipal open space, while nearby Ohkay Owingeh Tribal Lakes and regional river banks offer scenic water recreation. World-class skiing, mountain biking, and national forest trail networks in Taos, the Jemez Mountains, and Santa Fe are an easy day trip away.

Set near the confluence of the Rio Grande and the Rio Chama with views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the area offers immediate access to fishing, hiking, and rural scenery. Within town, Valdez Park provides municipal open space, while nearby Ohkay Owingeh Tribal Lakes and regional river banks offer scenic water recreation.

World-class skiing, mountain biking, and national forest trail networks in Taos, the Jemez Mountains, and Santa Fe are an easy day trip away.

Sources

As of Sep 16, 2026Source 1: newmexico.org Source 2: us.trip.com Source 3: thehonestlocal.com

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Living in Espanola

Española offers relocating nurses an authentic look into the heart of northern New Mexico, nestled in the Rio Grande Valley between Santa Fe and Taos. Bordered by Ohkay Owingeh and Santa Clara Pueblos, the city is world-famous as the Lowrider Capital and carries centuries of Spanish colonial and Indigenous heritage. Clinicians choosing Española will find a grounded community where red-and-green chile traditions thrive at spots like La Cocina and Ken'z Cuisine, and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains form an ever-present backdrop. For daily life, the city provides an accessible base in the regional commuter triangle connecting Los Alamos and Santa Fe, allowing for straightforward drives to regional medical facilities. However, relocating healthcare workers must weigh real trade-offs: public schools face systemic performance hurdles, public transit is limited to select corridors along North Riverside Drive, and local nightlife is sparse. For nurses seeking deep cultural connection, genuine southwestern character, and close access to northern New Mexico's outdoor landscapes without resort-town pretense, Española delivers an unvarnished and welcoming community.

AI area guide

Sources

As of 2026Source 1: valbriergroup.com Source 2: newmexico.org Source 3: santaclaran.com Source 4: reddit.com

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