Hospice Registered Nurse, RN - Full Time

Gentiva Hospice•Washington, NC

About The Position

The Hospice Registered Nurse serves as a primary point of contact for patients and families throughout the hospice journey, delivering personalized, skilled nursing care in patients’ homes, assisted living, or other institutional settings. The RN performs comprehensive initial and ongoing assessments, provides symptom management and other nursing interventions, and develops and updates individualized plans of care in accordance with each patient’s goals and needs. The role coordinates care with an interdisciplinary group that may include physicians, nurse practitioners, LPNs, CNAs, social workers, and chaplains. The nurse educates patients, families, and caregivers about disease processes, hospice services, end-of-life care, medications, nutrition, and symptom management, while offering emotional, physical, and spiritual support. The RN communicates changes in patient condition, documents clinical care, supports care transitions and referrals, and participates in on-call and patient support activities as applicable. The position is based in patient homes and/or institutional settings and involves travel by automobile.

Requirements

Registered Nurse.
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, hospice disciplines, community resources, general nursing practice, managed care principles, and regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
Excellent patient assessment skills and oral and written communication skills.
Ability to document and manage programs, provide patient-centered care, and support patients and families through end-of-life and crisis situations.
Ability to communicate effectively with people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and to work with maturity, cooperation, flexibility, and tact.
Ability to change between varied tasks without loss of efficiency or composure.
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 preferred.

Responsibilities

Perform comprehensive patient assessments and reassessments, including in-person and telephone assessments or screenings, and provide education as appropriate.
Deliver skilled nursing interventions and symptom management aligned with patients’ goals of care.
Develop and update individualized plans of care, including visit frequency, to address patient needs and identified risks.
Coordinate care with interdisciplinary team members, including 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 between levels of care.
Document timely clinical records, including assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, and care plans.
Maintain working relationships with the interdisciplinary group and involve the team when needed to achieve care plan outcomes.
Participate in on-call and patient support activities as applicable, providing clinically competent and responsive on-call services.
Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support, education, comfort, and bereavement guidance to patients and loved ones.
Maintain infection control and compliance standards and support quality improvement and scheduling initiatives.
Teach caregivers safe and confident care techniques and help patients and families understand medication administration, hospice services, symptom and pain management, and end-of-life processes.

Benefits

Competitive pay
401(k) with company match
Career advancement opportunities
National and local recognition programs
Teammate Assistance Fund
Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Mileage reimbursement or fleet vehicle program
Paid time off
Seven paid holidays
Wellness programs, including telemedicine, diabetes management, and joint and spine concierge care
Education support and tuition assistance, including ASN-to-BSN and BSN-to-MSN programs
Free continuing education units (CEUs)
Company-paid life insurance
Company-paid long-term disability insurance
Voluntary pet, critical illness, accident, and long-term care benefits