Hospice Nurse Practitioner

Heartland Hospice•Fort Wayne, IN

About The Position

The Nurse Practitioner provides comprehensive, patient-centered advanced clinical care to individuals with serious illnesses. Depending on market needs, the role may involve hospice care, palliative care, or both. The position includes patient management visits and hospice Face-to-Face (F2F) encounters for eligibility certification and recertification, in close partnership with physicians and interdisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality, compliant, compassionate care. The Nurse Practitioner combines independent clinical work with collaboration and supports patients and families through complex medical decisions, symptom management, and end-of-life care. The role involves assessments and visits across care settings, development and coordination of individualized care plans, medication and treatment management, diagnostic testing, goals-of-care discussions, referrals, and support through serious illness. The Nurse Practitioner documents findings and F2F encounters, communicates recommendations to interdisciplinary teams, and helps ensure compliance with applicable regulatory and organizational standards. Participation in an on-call rotation may be required as needed.

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, including tact and ability to support people during crisis and end-of-life situations.
Ability to adapt to changing tasks without loss of efficiency or composure and communicate effectively across 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.
Ability and willingness to meet organizational productivity and documentation standards.
Ability to use point-of-care technology and electronic medical records.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Complete required patient visits, including Medicare hospice Face-to-Face encounters, 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 plans.
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.
Manage patient care, including diagnosis, acute and chronic symptoms, treatment, medication management, longitudinal serious-illness support, quality-of-life optimization, and consultations.
Prescribe medications and treatments, including controlled substances when permitted by law and within applicable 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 in level 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 criteria to support hospice eligibility and recertification.
Document clinical findings and attest F2F encounters in the medical record accurately and in accordance with regulatory standards.
Communicate findings, treatment plans, diagnostics, and medication reviews to the interdisciplinary group or team; provide clinical recommendations based on assessment findings.
Help ensure compliance with Medicare, Medicaid, accrediting body requirements, OSHA, and hospice Conditions of Participation.
Promptly notify appropriate team members of barriers to completing scheduled visits and provide visit coverage across multiple provider numbers as needed and approved.
Maintain knowledge of hospice and palliative care.
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 and follow applicable regulations and documentation, eligibility, and Part B billing standards.

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
Generous paid time off and 7 paid holidays
Wellness programs, including telemedicine, diabetes management, and joint and spine concierge care
Education support and tuition assistance for ASN-to-BSN and BSN-to-MSN programs
Free continuing education units (CEUs)
Company-paid life and long-term disability insurance
Voluntary benefits, including pet, critical illness, accident, and long-term care coverage