Hospice Registered Nurse

Gentiva Hospice • Russellville, AR

8d • Onsite

About The Position

The Hospice Registered Nurse (RN)/RN Case Manager serves as a primary contact for hospice patients and their families, delivering skilled, hands-on nursing care in patients’ homes, assisted living communities, or other settings where they live. The nurse conducts initial and ongoing assessments, provides symptom management, and develops and updates individualized plans of care in collaboration with patients, caregivers, physicians, nurse practitioners, and the interdisciplinary group.

The role includes educating and supporting patients and caregivers on disease processes, medications, nutrition, self-care, hospice services, symptom and pain management, and end-of-life care. The nurse communicates changes in patient condition, documents clinical care and assessment findings, supports continuity of care and transitions between services or levels of care, and participates in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable. The position is based in patients’ homes and/or institutional settings, with travel by automobile. It is safety-sensitive and may involve exposure to infections, communicable diseases, odors, blood, excreta, and hazardous materials.

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 as experience in individual cases.
• Current license to practice nursing in the state of requested 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 oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to document and manage programs and clinical records accurately.
• Sensitivity and tact when supporting people facing terminal illness, death, and crisis.
• Flexibility to perform varied tasks while maintaining efficiency and composure.
• Ability to communicate effectively with people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and cooperate with patients, families, coworkers, and hospice team members.
• Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, fax equipment, a copier, and a cell phone or beeper.
• Must have and maintain transportation for work.

Nice To Haves

• Hospice or palliative care experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Perform comprehensive patient assessments and reassessments, including in-person and telephone RN 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, including 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 by recognizing and supporting home health, palliative care, and hospice referrals and transitions between levels of care.
• Document timely clinical records, including screening and 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 collaboration.
• Participate in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable, responding in a clinically competent and timely manner.
• Serve as a primary contact for patients and families and provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support, including bereavement guidance.
• Teach caregivers to provide care safely and confidently, offering practical instruction and emotional reassurance.
• Follow infection-control, regulatory, compliance, and organizational 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 insurance (full-time associates)
• Dental insurance (full-time associates)
• Vision insurance (full-time associates)
• Mileage reimbursement or fleet vehicle program (full-time associates)
• Generous paid time off and 7 paid holidays (full-time associates)
• Wellness programs, including telemedicine, diabetes management, and joint and spine concierge care (full-time associates)
• Education support and tuition assistance (ASN to BSN and BSN to MSN)
• Free continuing education units (CEUs)
• Company-paid life insurance and long-term disability insurance (full-time associates)
• Voluntary pet, critical illness, accident, and long-term care benefits

What This Job Offers

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