Hospice Registered Nurse

Gentiva Hospice • Aiken, SC

4d

About The Position

The Hospice Registered Nurse (RN)/RN Case Manager provides personalized, skilled hospice and palliative nursing care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and supports their families and caregivers. Care is delivered in patients’ homes, assisted living facilities, or other settings where they reside. The RN serves as a primary point of contact, performs initial and ongoing assessments, delivers symptom management, develops and updates individualized plans of care, and provides education and emotional support to patients and loved ones.

The role collaborates with an interdisciplinary team that may include physicians, nurse practitioners, LPNs, CNAs, social workers, and chaplains. The RN coordinates changes in care, supports transitions among home health, palliative, and hospice services, maintains timely and accurate clinical documentation, and participates in on-call and patient support activities as applicable. The position involves work 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.
• Must have and maintain transportation for work.
• Knowledge of terminally ill patients and their families, hospice, the special needs of hospice patients and families, and the roles of hospice service disciplines.
• Strong patient assessment skills and knowledge of community resources, general nursing practice, documentation, and program management.
• Good oral and written communication skills and knowledge of managed care principles and regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
• Ability to support people facing end-of-life issues and crisis, demonstrate tact and empathy, and communicate effectively with people from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Ability to adapt and perform varied tasks without loss of efficiency or composure, and to work cooperatively and flexibly with coworkers and the hospice team.
• Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, facsimile equipment, copier, and cell phone or beeper.

Nice To Haves

• Hospice or palliative care experience.

Responsibilities

• Perform comprehensive in-person and telephonic patient assessments and reassessments, and educate patients, family members, and caregivers as appropriate.
• Deliver and document skilled nursing interventions and symptom management in alignment with the patient’s goals of care and individualized Plan of Care.
• Develop and update individualized plans of care, including visit frequency, to address patient needs and identified risks.
• Coordinate care with interdisciplinary team members, including physicians and nurse practitioners, and involve the team when the care plan warrants collaboration.
• Provide education on disease processes, self-care, end-of-life care, medications, nutrition, dietary needs, hospice services, and symptom and pain management.
• Communicate changes in condition and signs or symptoms of decline to the appropriate provider.
• Support continuity of care by recognizing and supporting appropriate home health, palliative, and hospice referrals and transitions in levels of care.
• Maintain timely, accurate clinical records, including assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, and care plans.
• Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and their loved ones, including comfort and bereavement guidance.
• Teach caregivers how to care for patients safely and confidently.
• Participate in on-call and patient support activities as applicable, responding in a clinically competent and timely manner.
• Follow infection-control, regulatory, compliance, and organizational standards.
• Support quality improvement, scheduling initiatives, and patient and caregiver satisfaction.

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 eligible full-time associates.
• Mileage reimbursement or fleet vehicle program for eligible full-time associates.
• Generous paid time off and seven paid holidays for eligible full-time associates.
• Wellness programs, including telemedicine, diabetes management, and joint and spine concierge care, for eligible full-time associates.
• Education support and tuition assistance for ASN-to-BSN and BSN-to-MSN programs for eligible full-time associates.
• Free continuing education units (CEUs) for eligible full-time associates.
• Company-paid life and long-term disability insurance for eligible full-time associates.
• Voluntary benefits, including pet, critical illness, accident, and long-term care coverage.

What This Job Offers

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