Hospice Registered Nurse

Heartland Hospice•Mishawaka, IN

10h

About The Position

The Hospice Registered Nurse / RN Case Manager provides personalized, skilled nursing care to patients facing life-limiting illness and supports their families throughout the hospice journey. Care is delivered in patients’ homes, assisted living facilities, or other institutional settings, and is based on individualized plans of care and patient goals. The nurse conducts comprehensive initial and ongoing assessments, provides symptom management and nursing interventions, develops and updates care plans, and coordinates care with physicians and an interdisciplinary team. The role includes educating patients and caregivers about hospice services, medications, disease processes, nutrition, self-care, pain management, and end-of-life care; providing emotional and practical support; communicating changes in condition; and maintaining complete, timely clinical records. The nurse also participates in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable and supports continuity of care, quality improvement, scheduling, and regulatory compliance.

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 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 the ability to apply knowledge of the special needs of hospice patients and families.
Good oral and written communication, documentation, and program-management skills.
Sensitivity to end-of-life issues and the ability to support patients and families during a crisis.
Flexibility, sound judgment, tact, maturity, cooperation, and the ability to communicate effectively with people of varied socioeconomic backgrounds.
Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, facsimile equipment, a copier, and a cell phone or beeper.
Must have and maintain transportation for work.

Nice To Haves

Hospice or palliative care experience.

Responsibilities

Serve as a primary point of contact for patients and families throughout the hospice journey.
Perform comprehensive patient assessments and reassessments, including in-person and telephone assessments or screenings.
Deliver skilled nursing interventions and symptom management aligned with the patient’s goals of care.
Develop and update individualized plans of care, including visit frequency and identification of patient risks.
Coordinate care with interdisciplinary team members, including physicians and nurse practitioners.
Provide education to patients, families, and caregivers on disease processes, self-care, end-of-life care, medications, nutrition, dietary needs, hospice services, and symptom and pain management.
Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and their loved ones, including bereavement guidance.
Communicate changes in patient condition and signs or symptoms of decline to the appropriate provider.
Support continuity of care, appropriate referrals, and transitions between levels of care.
Document screening and assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, and care plans in a timely manner.
Maintain effective working relationships with the interdisciplinary group and involve the team when needed to achieve desired outcomes.
Participate in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable, providing clinically competent and responsive service.
Follow infection-control, compliance, regulatory, and organizational standards.
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 benefits, including pet, critical illness, accident, and long-term care benefits, for full-time associates.