Hospice Registered Nurse

Gentiva Hospice • Sevierville, TN

12d

About The Position

Gentiva Hospice is seeking a registered nurse to provide personalized hospice and palliative care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and support their families. The nurse serves as a primary point of contact, delivering skilled nursing care in patients’ homes or institutional settings, including assisted living. Care is based on individualized plans of care and emphasizes comfort, dignity, symptom management, and emotional and spiritual support.

The role includes assessing and reassessing patients, coordinating care with interdisciplinary team members and providers, educating patients and caregivers, responding to changes in patient condition, and maintaining complete and timely clinical documentation. The nurse also participates in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable, supports care transitions and referrals, and contributes to quality improvement and scheduling initiatives.

The position involves working in patients’ homes and/or institutional settings and in an automobile. Potential exposures include infections, communicable diseases, odors, blood, excreta, and hazardous materials. This is a safety-sensitive position.

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 employment.
• CPR certification.
• Current automobile insurance and a valid driver’s license.
• Knowledge of terminally ill patients and their families and of hospice care 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.
• Good oral and written communication skills, documentation, and program-management skills.
• Knowledge of general nursing practice and managed-care principles and regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
• Ability to support people facing end-of-life issues and to communicate effectively with people of varied socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Flexibility to perform varied tasks without loss of efficiency or composure; maturity, cooperation, tact, and responsible functioning in the workplace.
• Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, fax machines, copiers, and a cell phone or beeper.
• Must have and maintain transportation for work.

Nice To Haves

• Hospice or palliative care experience is 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, based on patient needs and identified risks.
• Coordinate care with interdisciplinary team members and consult with 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 or signs and symptoms of decline to the appropriate provider.
• Support continuity of care, including appropriate home health, palliative care, and hospice referrals and transitions between levels of care.
• Document screening and assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, and care plans accurately and promptly.
• Maintain effective working relationships with the interdisciplinary group and involve the team when the care plan warrants participation to achieve desired 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 to patients and loved ones, including education, comfort, and bereavement guidance.
• Teach caregivers safe care techniques and provide practical training and emotional reassurance.
• Follow infection-control, regulatory, compliance, and organizational policy standards.
• Support quality-improvement and scheduling initiatives.
• 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 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed