Hospice Registered Nurse

Heartland Hospice•Ft. Wayne, IN

About The Position

Heartland Hospice, part of Gentiva, is hiring a Hospice Registered Nurse to provide personalized hospice and palliative nursing care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and support their families. The nurse serves as a primary contact throughout the hospice journey and delivers skilled care in patients’ homes, assisted living facilities, or other settings where they live. The role includes assessing patients, managing symptoms, developing individualized care plans, educating caregivers, coordinating with an interdisciplinary team, and documenting care in accordance with clinical, regulatory, and organizational standards. The nurse also participates in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable. The position involves working in patients’ homes or institutional settings and using an automobile. It may involve exposure to infections, communicable diseases, odors, blood, excreta, and hazardous materials. The employee must maintain transportation for work and operate nursing assessment tools, computers, fax equipment, a copier, and a cell phone or beeper. Heartland Hospice is part of Gentiva, a national provider of hospice, palliative, home health, and advanced illness care, with nearly 600 locations and clinicians across 38 states. The company describes its work as compassionate, collaborative care for patients and families.

Requirements

Registered Nurse education and qualification.
At least one year of experience as an RN 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.
Current CPR certification.
Current automobile insurance and a valid driver’s license.
Knowledge of terminally ill patients and their families and understanding of hospice and the special needs of hospice patients and families.
Knowledge of the roles of disciplines providing hospice services and of community resources.
Strong patient-assessment skills and knowledge of general nursing practice.
Good oral and written communication skills, documentation ability, and program-management skills.
Knowledge of managed-care principles and regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
Sensitivity to the impact of life-and-death issues and the ability to support patients and families during a crisis.
Flexibility to perform varied tasks while maintaining efficiency and composure; ability to communicate effectively with people from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
Maturity, cooperation, tact, and flexibility when working with coworkers and hospice team members.
Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, fax equipment, a copier, and a cell phone or beeper.
Must have and maintain transportation for work.
Must meet applicable state-specific requirements and minimum requirements for benefits eligibility.

Nice To Haves

Hospice or palliative care experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as a primary point of contact for hospice patients and families, guiding them through the hospice journey.
Deliver and document skilled nursing care based on individualized plans of care in patients’ homes, assisted living facilities, or other settings where they live.
Perform comprehensive initial and ongoing patient assessments and reassessments, including in-person or telephonic assessments and screenings.
Provide skilled nursing interventions and symptom management aligned with patients’ goals of care.
Develop and update individualized plans of care, including visit frequency and identification of patient needs and risks.
Coordinate care with interdisciplinary team members, including physicians, nurse practitioners, LPNs, CNAs, social workers, and chaplains.
Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and loved ones, including education, comfort, and bereavement guidance.
Teach patients, families, and caregivers about disease processes, self-care, end-of-life care, medications, nutrition, dietary needs, and safe caregiving.
Communicate changes in condition and signs or symptoms of decline to the appropriate provider and care team.
Support continuity of care, including appropriate referrals and transitions among home health, palliative care, hospice, and levels of care.
Maintain timely, accurate clinical records, including assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, and care plans.
Follow infection-control, compliance, regulatory, and organizational policy standards.
Maintain effective working relationships with the interdisciplinary group and involve the team when appropriate to achieve care-plan outcomes.
Participate in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable, providing clinically competent and responsive service.
Support quality-improvement and scheduling initiatives and contribute to team collaboration and IDG activities.
Help patients and families understand medication administration, hospice philosophy and services, symptom and pain management, and end-of-life processes and expectations.

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, including ASN-to-BSN and BSN-to-MSN pathways, 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.