Hospice nurses work with a team of physicians, social workers, chaplains, therapists and family members to optimize the comfort of terminally ill patients outside of hospitals. Because the hospice nurse works with people who can see the end of their life approaching, he or she must not be shy about comforting patients emotionally as well as physically. Some hospice nurses find the fact that they cannot save their patients emotionally taxing. Because of these pressures, states require hospice nurses to receive additional certification.