Hospice Registered Nurse

Heartland Hospice•Lynchburg, VA

About The Position

The Hospice Registered Nurse provides personalized hospice and palliative nursing care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and supports their families. The nurse is a primary point of contact throughout the hospice journey, delivering care in patients’ homes, assisted living facilities, or other settings where they reside. The role includes skilled nursing interventions, symptom management, patient assessment, care planning, caregiver education, emotional support, and coordination with an interdisciplinary team. The nurse maintains complete clinical documentation and follows infection-control, regulatory, and organizational standards. The position may also include on-call and patient-support activities. The role requires an active nursing license in the state of employment, at least one year of RN experience, CPR certification, a valid driver’s license, current automobile insurance, and transportation for work. Hospice or palliative care experience is preferred. Work takes place in patients’ homes and/or institutional settings and in an automobile, with potential exposure to infections, communicable diseases, odors, blood, excreta, and hazardous materials. The stated salary range is $80,000–$90,000, with compensation varying based on factors such as location, experience, education, skills, and licensure.

Requirements

Registered Nurse education and qualification.
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.
Current CPR certification.
Current automobile insurance and a valid driver’s license.
Must have and 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.
Strong patient assessment skills and knowledge of general nursing practice.
Good oral and written communication skills, documentation ability, and program-management knowledge.
Knowledge of managed-care principles and regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
Sensitivity to end-of-life issues and the ability to support patients and families during a crisis.
Flexibility, composure, tact, maturity, cooperation, and the ability to communicate effectively with people from varied socioeconomic backgrounds.
Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, fax machines, copiers, and a cell phone or beeper.

Nice To Haves

Hospice or palliative care experience.

Responsibilities

Perform comprehensive patient assessments and reassessments, including in-person or telephone assessments and screenings.
Deliver and document skilled nursing care and symptom-management interventions aligned with the 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 patient care with interdisciplinary team members, including physicians and nurse practitioners.
Educate patients, families, and caregivers about disease processes, self-care, end-of-life care, medications, nutrition, dietary needs, and hospice services.
Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and loved ones, including comfort and bereavement guidance.
Teach caregivers how to provide safe care and offer practical training and emotional reassurance.
Communicate changes in patient condition and signs or symptoms of decline to the appropriate provider and care team.
Support continuity of care by recognizing and supporting appropriate referrals and transitions among home health, palliative care, hospice, and levels of care.
Maintain timely and accurate clinical records, including assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, and care plans.
Maintain effective working relationships with the interdisciplinary group and involve the team when the care plan warrants participation.
Participate in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable, responding in a clinically competent and timely manner.
Follow infection-control, compliance, regulatory, and organizational policy standards.
Support quality-improvement and scheduling initiatives and contribute to team collaboration and patient and caregiver satisfaction.