Hospice Nurse Practitioner

Heartland Hospice•Stevens Point, WI

About The Position

The Nurse Practitioner serves in a dual hospice and palliative care role, providing comprehensive, patient-centered care across the continuum of serious illness. The role includes responsibilities in both palliative and hospice settings, with flexibility based on patient census and program needs. The Nurse Practitioner delivers advanced clinical care, performs patient management visits and hospice Face-to-Face (F2F) encounters for eligibility certification and recertification, and partners with physicians and interdisciplinary teams to provide high-quality, compliant, and compassionate care. The position combines autonomous practice with collaboration to support patients and families through complex medical decision-making, symptom management, and end-of-life care. The Nurse Practitioner completes a range of patient visits and assessments; manages diagnoses, symptoms, treatments, medications, and care coordination; supports individualized care plans; and facilitates goals-of-care discussions and care transitions. The role includes prescribing and ordering or interpreting tests within applicable legal and practice parameters, documenting clinical findings, and ensuring compliance with regulatory and organizational requirements. Care may be provided across home, skilled nursing, and assisted living settings, with on-call participation as needed. Heartland Hospice is part of Gentiva, a national provider of hospice, palliative care, home health care, and advanced illness management. The company describes a collaborative work environment across nearly 600 locations in 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/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 the needs of patients and families.
Proficiency with point-of-care technology and electronic medical records.
Ability and willingness to maintain productivity and documentation standards in alignment with organizational expectations.
Ability to support patients and families during crises and sensitivity to the impact of life-and-death issues.
Flexibility to perform varied tasks without loss of efficiency or composure.
Ability to communicate effectively with people from varied 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.
Experience in hospice, palliative care, oncology, geriatrics, family/adult medicine, home health, or acute care.
Experience with Part B billing.
ACHPN certification.

Responsibilities

Complete all visit types for patients on service, including Medicare-required hospice Face-to-Face visits within CMS timeframes, History & Physical/Initial Comprehensive visits, symptom-management visits, admission visits, goals-of-care discussions, and routine follow-up visits.
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, when applicable.
Conduct in-depth physical, emotional, functional, and psychosocial patient assessments.
Support individualized care plans in partnership with patients, families, caregivers, and the IDG/IDT.
Assist with or 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, within state and federal regulations and applicable practice parameters.
Order and interpret laboratory and other diagnostic tests within state scope-of-practice rules and the Collaborative Practice Agreement.
Facilitate goals-of-care discussions, advance care planning, and appropriate level-of-care transitions.
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 accurately and attest F2F encounters in the medical record in accordance with regulatory standards.
Communicate findings, treatment plans, diagnostics, and medication reviews with the IDG/IDT, and provide clinical recommendations based on assessment findings.
Ensure alignment with Medicare, Medicaid, and accrediting-body requirements, including ACHC.
Promptly notify appropriate team members of 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.
Partner effectively with physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and other interdisciplinary team members.
Communicate clearly and compassionately with patients, caregivers, and families, supporting them through serious illness and end-of-life transitions.
Participate in the 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.