Hospice Registered Nurse

Heartland Hospice•Wausau, WI

About The Position

The Hospice Registered Nurse serves as a primary point of contact for hospice patients and their families, delivering and documenting skilled nursing care in patients’ homes, assisted living facilities, or other settings where they live. The RN performs initial and ongoing assessments, monitors changes in condition, provides symptom and pain management, and develops and updates individualized plans of care, including visit frequency. The role includes educating and supporting patients, caregivers, and loved ones on medication administration, hospice services, disease processes, self-care, nutrition, end-of-life care, and expectations, as well as offering emotional, physical, and spiritual support and bereavement guidance. The nurse coordinates care with an interdisciplinary group that may include physicians, nurse practitioners, LPNs, CNAs, social workers, and chaplains; communicates condition changes to appropriate providers; and helps ensure continuity of care and appropriate transitions among care settings and service levels. The position requires timely, accurate clinical documentation, adherence to infection-control and regulatory requirements, participation in quality improvement and scheduling initiatives, and on-call and patient-support activities as applicable. The work takes place in patients’ homes or institutional settings and in an automobile. The role may involve exposure to infections, communicable diseases, odors, blood, excreta, and hazardous materials. The employee must maintain transportation for work and be able to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, fax and copy equipment, and a cell phone or beeper. This is a safety-sensitive position.

Requirements

Registered Nurse education.
At least one year of RN experience in acute care hospital, oncology, long-term care, hospice, or home health; school internships and clinical hours may be considered in individual cases.
Current license to practice nursing in the state of requested employment.
CPR certification.
Current automobile insurance and a valid driver’s license.
Knowledge of terminally ill patients and their families, hospice, and the special needs of hospice patients and families.
Knowledge of the roles of disciplines providing hospice services and of community resources.
Excellent patient assessment skills and knowledge of general nursing practice.
Good oral and written communication skills, documentation skills, and program management knowledge.
Thorough knowledge of managed care principles and regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
Ability to demonstrate sensitivity and tact when supporting people facing terminal illness, death, and crisis.
Ability to adapt to changing tasks without loss of efficiency or composure and communicate effectively with people of all socioeconomic backgrounds.
Maturity, cooperation, flexibility, and tact in working with coworkers and hospice team members.
Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, facsimile equipment, copier, and cell phone or beeper.
Must have and maintain transportation for work.

Nice To Haves

Hospice or palliative care experience.

Responsibilities

Perform comprehensive patient assessments and reassessments, including in-person or telephone RN assessments and screenings, and provide education as appropriate.
Deliver skilled nursing interventions and symptom management consistent with patients’ goals of care.
Develop and update individualized plans of care, including visit frequency, based on patient needs and identified risks.
Coordinate care with interdisciplinary team members, including consulting physicians and nurse practitioners.
Educate patients and caregivers about disease processes, self-care, end-of-life care, medications, nutrition, and dietary needs.
Communicate changes in condition and signs or symptoms of decline to the appropriate provider.
Support continuity of care by recognizing and supporting appropriate home health, palliative, and hospice referrals and transitions in levels of care.
Document clinical records in a timely manner, including assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, and care plans.
Maintain effective working relationships with the interdisciplinary group and involve the team when the care plan warrants participation.
Participate in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable, providing clinically competent and responsive on-call services.
Provide patient and family support and guidance throughout the hospice journey, including education, comfort, and bereavement guidance.
Teach caregivers safe and confident care techniques and provide practical and emotional support.
Follow infection-control, compliance, regulatory, and policy standards and support quality improvement and scheduling initiatives.

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 pet, critical illness, accident, and long-term care benefits for full-time associates.