Hospice Nurse Practitioner

Heartland Hospice•Creve Coeur, MO

23h

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 works closely with physicians and interdisciplinary teams to provide high-quality, compliant, compassionate care. It combines autonomous practice with collaboration to support patients and families through complex medical decisions, symptom management, and end-of-life care. The Nurse Practitioner completes required patient visits, performs comprehensive assessments, contributes to individualized care plans, manages symptoms and medications, orders and interprets tests within applicable authority, and coordinates care across settings. The role also supports goals-of-care discussions, advance care planning, referrals, hospice eligibility and recertification, and compliant documentation. Collaboration with physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, patients, caregivers, and families is essential. Participation in an on-call rotation may be required as needed. Heartland Hospice is part of Gentiva, a national provider of hospice, palliative care, home health care, and advanced illness management, with nearly 600 locations across 38 states. The organization describes its work as providing compassionate care where patients call home and supporting patients and families through serious illness.

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 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.
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 meet organizational productivity and documentation standards.
Sensitivity and tact in addressing life-and-death issues affecting people with terminal illness and their families.
Ability to support others during a crisis.
Flexibility to change 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.
Experience in hospice, palliative care, oncology, geriatrics, family/adult medicine, home health, or acute care.
Experience with Part B billing.
ACHPN certification.

Responsibilities

Complete required patient visit types, 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 deliver comprehensive, patient-centered care.
Coordinate the patient Plan of Care with the Primary Care Provider or Attending Provider and applicable specialists.
Conduct in-depth physical, emotional, functional, and psychosocial patient assessments.
Develop and support individualized care plans with patients, families, caregivers, and the interdisciplinary group/team.
Manage patient care, including diagnosis, acute and chronic symptoms, treatment, medication management, assessments, longitudinal serious-illness support, quality-of-life optimization, and consultations, while reducing avoidable acute-care utilization.
Prescribe medications and treatments, including controlled substances, within state and federal rules and applicable independent-practice or collaborative-practice parameters.
Order and interpret laboratory and other diagnostic tests within state scope-of-practice rules and the Collaborative Practice Agreement, as applicable.
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.
Apply Local Coverage Determination criteria to support hospice eligibility and recertification.
Document clinical findings and attest to F2F encounters in the medical record in accordance with regulatory standards.
Communicate findings, treatment plans, diagnostics, and medication reviews to the interdisciplinary group/team.
Provide clinical recommendations to the interdisciplinary group based on assessment findings.
Ensure alignment with Medicare, Medicaid, and accrediting-body requirements, including ACHC.
Promptly notify appropriate team members about 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.
Collaborate with physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and other interdisciplinary team members.
Communicate clearly and 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 education for full-time associates.
Free continuing education units (CEUs) 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.