Home Health & Hospice On-Call RN

Northern Counties Health Care•Saint Johnsbury, VT

64d

About The Position

The On-Call Home Health & Hospice Nurse is experienced in nursing, with emphasis on community health education/experience and is available after business hours for Caledonia Home Health Care & Hospice. The On-Call Home Health & Hospice Nurse will respond to all pages from the answering service during these times and will determine the appropriate course of action which may include taking referral/order information and making phone calls and/or visits to patients/families. This position requires four overnight shifts at 40 hours per week.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited school of nursing. One (1) to two (2) years of recent acute care experience in an institutional setting.
Current licensure in state and CPR certification.
Excellent observation, verbal and written communication skills, problem solving skills, basic math skills; nursing skills per competency checklist.
Prolonged or considerable walking or standing. Able to lift, position or transfer patients. Able to lift supplies and equipment. May occasionally be in a position to lift and/or carry an item weighing up to 50 pounds. Considerable reaching, stooping, bending, kneeling or crouching. Visual acuity and hearing to perform required nursing skills.
Requires full range of body motion including handling and lifting clients, manual and finger dexterity and eye-hand coordination.
Requires knowledge of potential exposure to communicable diseases and bodily fluids.
Requires working under stress in emergency situations during irregular hours.
Must possess a valid driver's license and a reliable vehicle.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree, with one (1) year of home health care experience preferred.
Responsible for supervising home health aides.

Responsibilities

Responds to all pages from the answering service with a phone call to the caller within 15 minutes.
Receives and documents physician orders in the electronic medical record.
Receives and completes initial intake information from referral sources.
Triages patient/family calls to determine need for phone versus in person intervention.
In the event that a patient has an emergency need, the On-Call Home Health & Hospice Nurse will call 911 on behalf of the patient and report to the patient's home immediately as appropriate.
Reports his/her evening patient care activities, physician's orders/referrals received to the covering supervisor in a timely manner the next morning.
Completes an initial assessment of patient and family to determine home care needs. Provides a complete physical assessment and history of current and previous illness(es).
Initiates the plan of care. Develops a care plan, which establishes goals based on nursing diagnosis and incorporates therapeutic, preventive, and rehabilitative nursing actions. Includes the patient and the family in the planning process.
Initiates appropriate preventive and rehabilitative nursing procedures. Administers medications and treatments as prescribed by the physician. Provides direct patient care as defined in the State Nurse Practice Act.
Re-evaluates patient nursing needs and makes necessary revisions as patient status and needs change.
Counsels the patient and family in meeting nursing and related needs.
Provides health care instructions to the patient as appropriate per assessment and plan of care.
Communicates with the physician regarding the patient's needs and reports any changes in the patient's condition; obtains/receives physician's orders as required.
Communicates with community health related persons to coordinate the care plan.
Ensures that arrangements for equipment and other necessary items and services are available.
Instructs, supervises and evaluates home health aide care when necessary.
Participates in holiday visit rotation.