Hospice Nurse Practitioner

Heartland Hospice•Ft. Wayne, IN

2d•Onsite

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, conducts patient management visits and hospice Face-to-Face (F2F) encounters for eligibility certification and recertification, and collaborates with physicians and interdisciplinary teams to provide high-quality, compliant, and compassionate care. It combines autonomous practice with collaboration and includes supporting patients and families through complex medical decisions, symptom management, and end-of-life care. The Nurse Practitioner performs required visits and assessments, supports individualized care plans, manages diagnoses, symptoms, treatments and medications within the applicable scope of practice, and coordinates care across home and facility settings. The role includes facilitating goals-of-care and advance-care-planning discussions, applying hospice eligibility criteria, documenting and attesting F2F encounters, and ensuring compliance with applicable regulations and organizational standards. The position also collaborates with patients, families, caregivers, physicians, and interdisciplinary team members, and participates in an on-call rotation as needed. Heartland Hospice, part of Gentiva, provides compassionate care wherever patients call home. Gentiva is a national provider of hospice, palliative care, home health care, and advanced illness management, with nearly 600 locations and clinicians across 38 states.

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 through 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/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 patients’ and families’ needs.
Proficiency with point-of-care technology and electronic medical records.
Ability and willingness to maintain productivity and documentation standards in alignment with organizational expectations.
Sensitivity to the impact of life-and-death issues for people with terminal illness, and tact in dealing with patients and their families.
Ability to support others during a crisis.
Flexibility to perform varied tasks and change between tasks without loss of efficiency or composure.
Ability to communicate effectively with people of all 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 is preferred.
Experience in hospice, palliative care, oncology, geriatrics, family or adult medicine, home health, or acute care is preferred.
Experience with Part B billing is preferred.
ACHPN certification is preferred.

Responsibilities

Complete patient visits, including Medicare-required hospice Face-to-Face (F2F) visits within CMS timeframes, initial comprehensive visits, symptom-management visits, admissions, goals-of-care discussions, and routine follow-ups.
Collaborate with hospice and palliative medical directors and interdisciplinary teams to provide comprehensive, patient-centered care.
Coordinate patient plans of care with primary care or attending providers and specialists, as applicable.
Perform 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 (IDG/IDT).
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 authorized, within state and federal regulations and applicable practice parameters or collaborative practice agreements.
Order and interpret laboratory and other diagnostic tests within the state-defined scope of practice and applicable 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 facilities, and assisted living settings.
Initiate referrals to supportive services and community resources as needed.
Use Local Coverage Determination (LCD) criteria to support hospice eligibility and recertification.
Accurately document clinical findings and attest F2F encounters in the medical record in accordance with regulatory standards.
Communicate findings, treatment plans, diagnostic results, and medication reviews to the IDG/IDT, and provide clinical recommendations based on assessment findings.
Maintain alignment with Medicare, Medicaid, and accrediting-body requirements, including ACHC requirements.
Promptly notify appropriate team members about barriers to completing scheduled visits.
Provide care and visit coverage across multiple provider numbers as needed and approved.
Maintain comprehensive knowledge of hospice and palliative care.
Collaborate with physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and other IDG/IDT members.
Communicate clearly and compassionately with patients, caregivers, and families, supporting 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.
Apply knowledge of hospice eligibility, documentation standards, and Part B billing practices, as applicable.

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 eligible full-time associates.
Mileage reimbursement or fleet vehicle program.
Generous paid time off and seven paid holidays for eligible full-time associates.
Wellness programs, including telemedicine, diabetes management, and joint and spine concierge care.
Education support and tuition assistance, including ASN-to-BSN and BSN-to-MSN pathways.
Free continuing education units (CEUs).
Company-paid life and long-term disability insurance for eligible full-time associates.
Voluntary benefits, including pet, critical illness, accident, and long-term care coverage.