Hospice Nurse Practitioner

Heartland Hospice•Portage, MI

About The Position

The Nurse Practitioner provides comprehensive, patient-centered care to people with serious illnesses. Depending on market needs, the role may involve hospice care, palliative care, or both. The position delivers advanced clinical care, patient management visits, and hospice Face-to-Face (F2F) encounters for eligibility certification and recertification, in collaboration with physicians and interdisciplinary teams. It combines autonomous practice with team-based care to support patients and families with complex medical decisions, symptom management, and end-of-life care. The Nurse Practitioner completes required visits, assesses patients’ physical, emotional, functional, and psychosocial needs, and supports individualized care plans. The role includes managing symptoms and medications, prescribing and ordering tests within applicable scope and agreements, facilitating goals-of-care discussions, coordinating care across settings, and connecting patients with supportive services. It also requires use of Local Coverage Determination criteria, accurate and compliant documentation, communication of findings and recommendations to the interdisciplinary team, and adherence to regulatory and organizational requirements. Participation in an on-call rotation may be required.

Requirements

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or higher from an accredited program.
Completion of an accredited Nurse Practitioner program.
Current RN license and Nurse Practitioner license or certification in the state of practice.
National Nurse Practitioner certification from ANCC or AANP.
Collaborative Practice Agreement with a supervising internal physician or proof of Independent Practice Authority in accordance with state regulations.
Controlled Substance Agreement, if applicable.
DEA registration and prescriptive authority in accordance with state regulations.
Current CPR certification.
Valid driver’s license and current automobile insurance.
Strong clinical assessment and critical-thinking skills across palliative and hospice populations.
In-depth understanding of palliative care principles, hospice philosophy, home health eligibility, and end-of-life care.
Working knowledge of LCD criteria, Medicare and Medicaid regulations, coding and billing, and documentation requirements.
Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
Knowledge of Hospice & Palliative Quality Measures collection, documentation, reporting, and the QAPI process.
Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
Compassion, emotional intelligence, and sensitivity to the needs of patients and families.
Proficiency with point-of-care technology and electronic medical records.
Ability to maintain productivity and documentation standards in line with organizational expectations.
Sensitivity and tact when supporting people facing terminal illness, end-of-life issues, or crisis.
Flexibility to perform varied tasks while maintaining efficiency and composure.
Ability to communicate effectively with people from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.
Maturity, cooperation, flexibility, and tact when working with coworkers and hospice team members.
Compliance with OSHA, State Board of Nursing, and federal regulations related to hospice Conditions of Participation.

Nice To Haves

At least two years of Nurse Practitioner experience preferred.
Experience in hospice, palliative care, oncology, geriatrics, family or adult medicine, home health, or acute care preferred.
Experience with Part B billing preferred.
ACHPN certification preferred.

Responsibilities

Complete patient visits, including Medicare-required hospice Face-to-Face encounters within CMS timeframes, History & Physical/initial comprehensive visits, symptom-management visits, admission visits, goals-of-care discussions, and routine follow-ups.
Collaborate with hospice and palliative medical directors, interdisciplinary teams, primary care or attending providers, and specialists to coordinate patient care and plans of care.
Conduct in-depth physical, emotional, functional, and psychosocial patient assessments.
Develop and support individualized care plans with patients, families, caregivers, and the interdisciplinary group or team.
Manage patient care, including diagnosis, acute and chronic symptoms, treatment, medication management, assessments, longitudinal serious-illness support, quality-of-life optimization, and consultations.
Prescribe medications and treatments, including controlled substances when permitted, within state and federal regulations and applicable independent-practice or collaborative-practice parameters.
Order and interpret laboratory and other diagnostic tests within the applicable scope of practice and collaborative practice agreement.
Facilitate goals-of-care discussions, advance care planning, and transitions between levels of care when appropriate.
Coordinate care across home, skilled nursing, and assisted-living settings.
Initiate referrals to supportive services and community resources as needed.
Use Local Coverage Determination criteria to support hospice eligibility and recertification.
Document clinical findings accurately and attest to F2F encounters in the medical record in compliance with regulatory standards.
Communicate findings, treatment plans, diagnostic results, medication reviews, and clinical recommendations to the interdisciplinary group or team.
Ensure alignment with Medicare, Medicaid, accrediting-body, and other applicable requirements.
Promptly notify appropriate team members of barriers to completing scheduled visits.
Provide care and visit coverage across multiple provider numbers when needed and approved.
Maintain comprehensive knowledge of hospice and palliative care.
Partner with physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and other interdisciplinary team members.
Communicate compassionately with patients, caregivers, and families, and support them through serious illness and end-of-life transitions.
Participate in an on-call rotation as needed.
Maintain timely, accurate, and compliant clinical documentation.
Follow federal, state, and organizational regulations, including OSHA requirements and hospice Conditions of Participation.

Benefits

Competitive pay.
401(k) with company match.
Career advancement opportunities.
National and local recognition programs.
Teammate Assistance Fund.
Medical, dental, and vision insurance for full-time associates.
Mileage reimbursement or fleet vehicle program for full-time associates.
Generous paid time off and seven paid holidays for full-time associates.
Wellness programs, including telemedicine, diabetes management, and joint and spine concierge care, for full-time associates.
Education support and tuition assistance for ASN-to-BSN and BSN-to-MSN programs for full-time associates.
Free continuing education units for full-time associates.
Company-paid life and long-term disability insurance for full-time associates.
Voluntary benefits, including pet, critical illness, accident, and long-term care coverage, for full-time associates.