Hospice Registered Nurse

Gentiva Hospice•Goldsboro, NC

About The Position

The Hospice Registered Nurse (RN) / RN Case Manager provides personalized hospice and palliative nursing care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and supports their families. The nurse serves as a primary point of contact, delivering and documenting skilled care in patients’ homes, assisted living facilities, or other places they call home. The role includes assessing patient needs, managing symptoms, coordinating individualized care plans, educating patients and caregivers, and offering physical, emotional, and spiritual support. The RN collaborates with an interdisciplinary team and helps patients and families understand hospice services, medications, pain and symptom management, and end-of-life processes. The position also supports continuity of care, referrals and transitions between care levels, quality improvement, and scheduling initiatives. The RN maintains accurate clinical records, follows infection-control and regulatory requirements, and participates in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable. Work takes place in patients’ homes or institutional settings and in an automobile, with potential exposure to infections, communicable diseases, odors, blood, excreta, and hazardous materials.

Requirements

Registered Nurse education and a current license to practice nursing in the state of requested employment.
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 CPR certification.
Current automobile insurance and a valid driver’s license.
Knowledge of terminally ill patients and their families, hospice, hospice disciplines, community resources, and general nursing practice.
Strong patient-assessment skills and oral and written communication skills.
Knowledge of documentation and program management and managed-care principles and regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, facsimile equipment, a copier, and a cell phone or beeper.
Must have and maintain transportation for work.
Ability to support patients and families facing life-and-death issues and to communicate effectively with people from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
Flexibility, maturity, cooperation, tact, and the ability to change tasks without loss of efficiency or composure.

Nice To Haves

Hospice or palliative care experience.

Responsibilities

Perform comprehensive in-person or telephonic patient assessments and reassessments, and provide education to patients, families, and caregivers.
Deliver skilled nursing interventions and symptom management aligned with each 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 and consult physicians and nurse practitioners as needed.
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 identifying and supporting 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 in a timely manner.
Maintain effective working relationships with the interdisciplinary group and involve the team when the care plan warrants collaboration.
Participate in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable, providing clinically competent and responsive service.
Teach caregivers how to care for patients safely and confidently, offering practical guidance and emotional reassurance.
Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and loved ones, including comfort and bereavement guidance.
Follow infection-control, compliance, and regulatory standards and 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.
For full-time associates: 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.
Voluntary benefits, including pet, critical illness, accident, and long-term care coverage.