Hospice Nurse Practitioner

Gentiva Hospice•Vestavia, AL

About The Position

The Nurse Practitioner provides comprehensive, patient-centered care to people with serious illnesses. Depending on market needs, care may include 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 partners with physicians and interdisciplinary teams to provide high-quality, compliant, compassionate care. It combines autonomous practice with collaboration to guide patients and families through medical decision-making, symptom management, and end-of-life care. The Nurse Practitioner assesses patients, supports individualized care plans, manages diagnoses and symptoms, coordinates medication and treatment, and helps optimize quality of life while reducing avoidable acute-care utilization. The role includes coordinating care across home and facility settings, facilitating goals-of-care discussions and transitions, supporting hospice eligibility and recertification, and maintaining accurate regulatory-compliant documentation. The Nurse Practitioner works with patients, families, caregivers, physicians, and interdisciplinary team members and may participate in an on-call rotation. 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. The position is described as safety-sensitive.

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 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.
In-depth understanding of palliative care principles, hospice philosophy, home-health eligibility, and end-of-life care.
Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
Ability to maintain productivity and documentation standards in alignment with organizational expectations.
Sensitivity to life-and-death issues affecting people with terminal illness; tact in working with patients and families; and ability to support others in crisis.
Flexibility to switch between varied tasks without loss of efficiency or composure.
Ability to communicate effectively with people from different 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

Minimum of two years of Nurse Practitioner experience preferred.
Experience in hospice, palliative care, oncology, geriatrics, family or adult medicine, home health, or acute care preferred.
Experience with Part B billing preferred.
Working knowledge of Local Coverage Determination criteria, Medicare and Medicaid regulations, coding and billing, and documentation requirements.
Knowledge of Hospice & Palliative Quality Measures collection, documentation, reporting, and the QAPI process.
Proficiency with point-of-care technology and electronic medical records.
ACHPN certification preferred.

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, interdisciplinary teams, primary care or attending providers, and specialists to coordinate patient care and plans of care.
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, assessments, serious-illness support, quality-of-life optimization, and consultations.
Prescribe medications and treatments, including controlled substances, as permitted by law and applicable practice arrangements.
Order and interpret laboratory and other diagnostic tests within the applicable scope of practice and 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 and attest to F2F encounters in the medical record in compliance with regulatory standards.
Communicate findings, treatment plans, diagnostics, and medication reviews to the interdisciplinary group or team, and provide clinical recommendations based on assessment findings.
Ensure alignment with Medicare, Medicaid, and accrediting-body requirements, including ACHC requirements.
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.
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 adhere to federal, state, organizational, OSHA, and hospice Conditions of Participation requirements.

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 7 paid holidays for full-time associates.
Wellness programs, including telemedicine, diabetes management, and Joint & 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.