Hospice Nurse Practitioner

Heartland Hospice•Traverse City, MI

About The Position

The Nurse Practitioner provides comprehensive, patient-centered care to people with serious illnesses. Depending on market needs, the position may serve patients in hospice, palliative care, or both. The role delivers advanced clinical care, conducts patient management visits and hospice Face-to-Face (F2F) encounters for eligibility certification and recertification, and works with physicians and interdisciplinary teams to provide high-quality, compliant, compassionate care. It combines independent clinical practice with collaboration to support patients and families through complex medical decisions, symptom management, and end-of-life care. The Nurse Practitioner conducts clinical assessments and visits, supports individualized plans of care, manages diagnoses and symptoms, and coordinates care across settings such as patients’ homes, skilled nursing facilities, and assisted living. The role also supports goals-of-care discussions and care transitions, uses applicable eligibility criteria, documents and attests F2F encounters, and communicates clinical findings and recommendations to the interdisciplinary team. The position participates in on-call coverage as needed and follows applicable regulatory, documentation, and compliance requirements. Heartland Hospice, part of Gentiva, provides hospice 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 thousands of 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.
A 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, and 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 to the impact of life-and-death issues for people with terminal illness, and tact when working with patients and families.
Ability to support others in times of 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 or adult medicine, home health, or acute care.
Experience with Part B billing.
ACHPN certification.

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 and interdisciplinary teams to deliver 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.
Develop and support individualized care plans in partnership 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, as permitted by law and within applicable practice parameters or collaborative agreements.
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 level-of-care transitions when appropriate.
Coordinate care across home, skilled nursing facility, 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.
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 interdisciplinary group or team, and provide clinical recommendations based on assessments.
Ensure alignment with Medicare, Medicaid, and accrediting-body requirements, including ACHC requirements.
Promptly notify appropriate team members of barriers to completing scheduled visits.
Provide patient 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 clearly and compassionately with patients, caregivers, and families, and support them through serious illness and end-of-life transitions.
Participate in the on-call rotation as needed.
Maintain timely, accurate, and compliant clinical documentation.
Comply with applicable 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 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 (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.