Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association

What Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association does

Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA), founded in 1986 and headquartered in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, is a national nonprofit professional association dedicated to advancing hospice and palliative nursing practice, education, advocacy, leadership, and research. Operating alongside its affiliated entities — the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation (HPNF) and the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC) — under the unified "Advancing Expert Care" enterprise, HPNA serves Registered Nurses, Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses, Certified Nursing Assistants, Pediatric Nurses, hospice administrators, and perinatal loss care specialists across the United States.

HPNA monetizes through a diversified portfolio spanning six revenue streams: recurring membership dues; eight certification credentials (ACHPN, CHPN, CHPPN, CHPLN, CHPNA, CPLC, CHPCA, and the newly NCCA-accredited APHSW-C) administered via HPCC with associated exam and recertification fees; one-time certification prep courses priced at $60-$500 with member discounts (e.g., CHPN Virtual Live at $375 member / $500 non-member); role-specific core curricula, study guides, and scope/standards publications in physical and ebook formats; conference and event revenue including the co-hosted Annual Assembly of Hospice and Palliative Care with AAHPM; and donations/grants channeled through HPNF for scholarships, research grants, and program funding. Member benefits include free subscription to the Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, Mentor Match, state communities, special interest groups, the FPCN fellowship program, the HPNA Career Center, and employer partnership volume discounts.

Distribution is digital-first via the Advancing Expert Care online portal and a Digitell-powered HPNA Learning Center (self-paced online courses with real-time test grading and NCPD certificate printing), supplemented by live remote proctored certification exams, the annual in-person conference, and employer partnership channels. The organization holds 9 registered trademarks for its certification credentials and brand, ANCC accreditation as a continuing professional development provider, and NCCA accreditation for the APHSW-C program (June 2026). A planned leadership transition — CEO Virginia (Ginger) Marshall retiring effective March 20, 2027 — is the most significant forward governance event.

Name

Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association

Legal name

Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association

Website

https://advancingexpertcare.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HPNA is a 40-year-old US nonprofit professional association that provides certification, continuing education, publications, and community programs for hospice and palliative nurses, operating alongside its foundation and credentialing center under the Advancing Expert Care enterprise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nursing Professional Association / Healthcare Specialty Credentialing

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Nursing Assistant (CNA) & Patient Care Technician (PCT) (EDAOAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Home Health Aide (HHA) & Personal Care Aide (PCA) (EDAOAJAM), Private Duty Skilled Nursing (RN/LPN) in the Home (HLADAFAD)

Keywords

• Hospice nursing certification
• Palliative care education
• Nursing professional development
• Continuing nursing education
• Nursing credentialing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to member benefits including discounted exam pricing, educational products, networking, and legislative information.
2. Certification Exams and Credentials: HPCC offers multiple credentials including ACHPN, CHPN, CHPPN, CHPLN, CHPNA, CHPCA, CPLC, and APHSW-C with exam fees and recertification charges.
3. Education and Certification Prep Courses: Virtual live and on-demand certification review courses, recorded lectures, and interactive modules. Examples include CHPN Virtual Live at $375 member/$500 non-member.
4. Publications and Educational Materials: Sale of core curricula, study guides, textbooks, and ebooks for various nursing specialties. Products available in physical and digital formats.
5. Events and Conferences: Annual Assembly registration fees, on-demand conference access, and HPNA on the Hill events.
6. Donations and Grants (HPNF): Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation receives donations and grants to support education, certification, and research scholarships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

HPNA is a nonprofit professional nursing association that delivers paid specialty certifications (eight HPCC credentials including ACHPN, CHPN, CHPPN, CHPLN, CHPNA, CPLC, CHPCA, APHSW-C), certification-prep courses (virtual live, interactive, and recorded lectures) on the HPNA Learning Center, peer-reviewed journals and textbooks/core curricula for every nursing role, an annual conference co-hosted with AAHPM, and member benefits such as mentoring and advocacy. HPNF supplements the offering with research grants, scholarships, and donations, while HPNCC-issued credentials anchor the enterprise's revenue base.

Product overview

The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA), along with its affiliated organizations HPNF (Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation) and HPCC (Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center), operates as a unified enterprise offering a comprehensive portfolio of education, certification, and professional development products and services for hospice and palliative care nurses. The core offerings include the HPNA Learning Center for self-paced online continuing education with NCPD certificates, the HPNA Palliative Perspective Podcast, and over 68 products in the HPNA Store including certification review courses (CHPN, ACHPN, CHPPN, CHPLN, CHPNA) and core curriculum textbooks for different nursing roles (APRN, RN, LPVN, Nursing Assistant, Pediatric RN). HPCC provides eight distinct certification credentials (ACHPN, CHPN, CHPPN, CHPLN, CHPNA, CPLC, CHPCA, APHSW-C), while HPNF supports through grants, scholarships, and the Mentor Match program. The enterprise also offers the HPNA Career Center, the annual conference (Annual Assembly with AAHPM), and various free resources including Orientation Guides and Nursing Resource Guides.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HPNA Individual Membership (Annual Dues) Annual individual membership providing nurse-members with discounted certification exam pricing, member-only educational products, networking, legislative updates, free online access to the Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, and participation in state communities and Special Interest Groups (SIGs).
• HPNA Learning Center Self-paced digital learning platform delivering up-to-date continuing-education modules with real-time test grading and NCPD certificate printing; courses developed around current healthcare trends and interdisciplinary team collaboration.
• CHPN Certification (Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse) Specialty credential issued through HPCC for experienced hospice and palliative registered nurses; includes paid exam administration and recertification cycles.
• ACHPN Certification (Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse) Advanced-practice specialty credential issued by HPCC for advanced practice registered nurses in hospice and palliative care.
• CHPPN Certification (Certified Hospice and Palliative Pediatric Nurse) Specialty credential for experienced pediatric hospice and palliative registered nurses, administered by HPCC.
• CHPLN Certification (Certified Hospice and Palliative LPN/LVN) Specialty credential for licensed practical/vocational nurses practicing in hospice and palliative care, issued through HPCC.
• CHPNA Certification (Certified Hospice and Palliative Nursing Assistant) Specialty credential for nursing assistants delivering hospice and palliative care, administered by HPCC.
• CPLC Certification (Certified in Perinatal Loss Care) Credential for healthcare professionals specializing in perinatal loss care, issued via HPCC.
• CHPCA Certification (Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Administrator) Credential for administrators working in hospice and palliative care settings, administered through HPCC.
• APHSW-C Certification (Advanced Palliative Hospice Social Worker – Certified) NCCA-accredited credential for advanced palliative and hospice social workers, administered by HPCC.
• CHPN Virtual Live Certification Review Course Instructor-led virtual certification review course preparing candidates for the HPCC CHPN exam; priced at $375 for members and $500 for non-members (non-member price includes a one-year HPNA membership); provides up to 8.33 NCPD contact hours plus 2.25 Pharmacotherapeutic contact hours.
• CHPN Interactive Review Course Self-paced interactive CHPN review course with six modules, interactive case studies, knowledge checks, audio presentations, and up to 6.0 NCPD contact hours; member-priced at $250 and non-member at $350.
• ACHPN Interactive Review Course Self-paced interactive review course with four modules featuring interactive case studies and knowledge checks, designed for APRNs preparing for the ACHPN certification exam.
• CHPNA Certification Lecture Review Course Lecture-format review course supporting nursing assistant certification (CHPNA); includes 3.25 participation hours for nursing assistants and is priced at $60 for members.
• CHPLN Interactive Review Course Self-paced interactive CHPLN review course for LPNs/LVNs preparing for certification; member price $100 and non-member price $200.
• Pharmacology in Practice: Palliative Pearls, Powerful Protocols, and Real-World Solutions (Bundle) On-demand curriculum bundle covering cardiovascular pharmacotherapy, opioid conversions, proportional sedation, complex pain syndromes, psychiatric medications, and alternate administration routes; provides 9.0 NCPD contact hours including 9.0 pharmacotherapeutic hours; member price $150, non-member price $225.
• Scope, Standards, and Competencies for the Hospice and Palliative RN and APRN First-edition reference defining, supporting, and elevating hospice and palliative nursing practice with unified scope, standards, and competencies; free to members, $160 for non-members.
• Core Curriculum for the Hospice and Palliative APRN (4th Edition, 2024) Comprehensive textbook covering all aspects of hospice and palliative advanced-practice nursing, organized around the four domains of the Detailed Content Outline for the ACHPN exam.
• Study Guide for the Hospice and Palliative APRN Evidence-based study companion with review questions and in-depth case studies to support APRN candidates preparing for the ACHPN exam.
• Core Curriculum for the Hospice and Palliative Nursing Assistant and Study Guide (5th Edition, 2024) Combined core curriculum and study guide covering hospice and palliative practice for nursing assistants, organized around the four domains of the Detailed Content Outline for the CHPNA exam.
• Core Curriculum for the Hospice and Palliative LPVN (3rd Edition, 2021) Comprehensive evidence-based textbook for licensed practical/vocational nurses covering hospice and palliative nursing practice across care settings.
• Core Curriculum for the Hospice and Palliative Pediatric Nurse (3rd Edition, 2024) Pediatric-focused textbook organized around the five domains of the Detailed Content Outline for the CHPPN exam.
• Study Guide for the Hospice and Palliative Pediatric Nurse Companion textbook to the Pediatric Core Curriculum, providing review questions and in-depth case studies for CHPPN exam preparation.
• Hospice and Palliative Care Orientation Guide for RNs and APRNs Eight-week orientation program for early-career nurses or those new to the hospice and palliative care specialty.
• HPNA Career Center Online job board for posting hospice and palliative care nursing positions and discovering new roles; accessible through the HPNA website.
• HPNA Annual Conference On Demand On-demand access to expert-led annual-conference presentations and poster sessions for nurses seeking professional growth without on-site attendance.
• ELNEC Train-the-Trainer Courses End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium courses that train nurses to deliver end-of-life care education within their own institutions.
• Annual Assembly of Hospice and Palliative Care (Co-Hosted with AAHPM) Major multi-day industry conference with keynote sessions, deep-dive panels, and pre-conference workshops for the hospice and palliative care interdisciplinary community, co-hosted with AAHPM.

Quantifiable outcome

• Members receive free online membership to the Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing (JHPN)

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2025AAHPM and HPNA co-host the Annual Assembly of Hospice and Palliative Care, a major industry event featuring keynote sessions, deep dive panels, and pre-conference workshops. The 2026 event is scheduled for March 4-7 at the San Diego Convention Center.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sigma (Sigma Theta Tau International): Sigma is the nursing honor society with global membership, offering continuing education, leadership development, and scholarly publishing. Comparable to HPNA as a nursing membership organization delivering education, credentials, and conferences to a defined nursing audience.
• American Nurses Association (ANA): ANA is the largest U.S. nursing membership organization, providing specialty credentialing, advocacy, and continuing education. It operates as a broader incumbent against which HPNA competes for nursing association membership and offers parallel certification and education services.
• National League for Nursing (NLN): NLN is a broad nursing education organization serving nurse educators and academic programs. While its focus is faculty/academia rather than direct specialty nursing, NLN is comparable in offering nursing certifications, publications, and continuing education through a membership model.

Direct peers

• American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN): AACN is a large specialty nursing association providing CCRN certification, continuing education, and member programs for critical-care nurses. It mirrors HPNA's structure of specialty credentialing, certification prep, annual conferences, and member-only publications.
• Hospice Foundation of America: HFA is a nonprofit foundation focused on public and professional education about hospice care. It overlaps directly with HPNA in hospice education programming and end-of-life care content for clinicians, families, and the public.
• American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM): AAHPM is the physician-focused counterpart to HPNA in hospice and palliative care. HPNA and AAHPM co-host the Annual Assembly of Hospice and Palliative Care, making AAHPM the closest strategic partner and most comparable peer in mission, membership model, and event programming.
• Oncology Nursing Society (ONS): ONS is a specialty nursing association offering certifications (OCN, AOCNP), continuing education, and member services for oncology nurses. It is closely comparable to HPNA in operating model — specialty membership, certification portfolio, conferences, and publications — though in a different clinical specialty.
• National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO): NHPCO is the leading U.S. membership organization for hospice and palliative care providers and professionals. It overlaps significantly with HPNA's advocacy, education, and member services mission, serving a closely related constituency across the hospice workforce.

Emerging players

• Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society (WOCN): WOCN is a smaller specialty nursing society offering CWOCN certification, continuing education, and conferences for wound/ostomy/continence nurses. It is structurally analogous to HPNA as a specialty membership association with certification and education revenue streams.
• Society for Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacists (SPPCP): SPPCP serves pharmacists in palliative care with education, certification support, and member resources. It intersects HPNA's mission in palliative care education and represents a comparable small specialty membership/education model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hpnainfo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HPNAinformation
• Facebookfacebook.com/HPNAinfo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hpna
• Instagraminstagram.com/hpna_info

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association