Hospice Registered Nurse

Gentiva Hospice•Batesville, AR

18d

About The Position

The Hospice Registered Nurse provides personalized hospice and palliative nursing care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and supports their families and caregivers. The nurse serves as a primary contact throughout the hospice journey and delivers skilled care in patients’ homes, assisted-living residences, or other institutional settings. Care is guided by individualized plans of care and includes comprehensive assessments, symptom management, caregiver education, emotional support, and coordination with an interdisciplinary team. The role includes developing and updating care plans, monitoring patient condition, communicating changes to appropriate providers, maintaining complete clinical documentation, and supporting continuity of care and transitions between levels of care. The nurse also participates in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable and contributes to quality improvement, scheduling, team collaboration, and compliance with clinical and regulatory standards. The working environment includes patients’ homes or institutional settings and an automobile. Potential exposure includes infections, communicable diseases, odors, blood, excreta, and hazardous materials. This is a safety-sensitive position. The role requires the ability to use nursing assessment tools, computers, fax and copier equipment, and a cell phone or beeper, and to maintain transportation for work.

Requirements

Registered Nurse; a minimum of 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.
Maintain transportation for work.
Knowledge of terminally ill patients and their families and an 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.
Excellent patient assessment skills and knowledge of general nursing practice.
Good oral and written communication skills, documentation, and program-management skills.
Knowledge of managed-care principles and regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC, as well as human resource management principles.
Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to end-of-life issues, tact with patients and families, and support for others 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, flexibility, and tact in working with coworkers and hospice team members.
Ability to effectively operate nursing assessment tools, computers, facsimile equipment, copier, and cell phone or beeper.
Ability to perform the essential duties satisfactorily and comply with applicable state-specific requirements.

Nice To Haves

Hospice or palliative care experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as a primary point of contact for patients and families throughout the hospice journey.
Perform comprehensive initial and ongoing patient assessments and reassessments, including in-person or telephone RN assessments and screenings.
Deliver and document skilled nursing interventions and symptom management consistent with each patient’s goals of care and individualized plan 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, chaplains, and others.
Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and their loved ones, including education, comfort, and bereavement guidance.
Educate patients, family members, and caregivers about disease processes, self-care, end-of-life care, medications, nutrition, dietary needs, hospice services, symptom and pain management, and end-of-life expectations.
Teach caregivers to provide care safely and confidently, offering practical training and emotional reassurance.
Communicate changes in condition and signs or symptoms of decline to the appropriate provider, such as an NP, PCP, or hospice physician.
Support continuity of care, appropriate referrals to home health, palliative care, and hospice, and transitions between levels of care.
Maintain timely, accurate clinical records, including assessment findings, screening results, physician orders, progress notes, and care plans.
Maintain effective working relationships with the interdisciplinary group and involve the team when needed to achieve care-plan outcomes.
Follow infection-control, compliance, regulatory, and organizational policy standards.
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.
Use transportation maintained for work to travel to patient settings.

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 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.