Hospice Registered Nurse

SouthernCare • Mobile, AL

10d • Onsite

About The Position

The Hospice Registered Nurse (RN) provides skilled, patient-centered hospice nursing care to people with life-limiting illnesses and supports their families and caregivers. The RN serves as a primary contact throughout the hospice journey, delivering care in patients’ homes or institutional settings and coordinating services with an interdisciplinary team. Care is guided by individualized plans of care and emphasizes comfort, dignity, symptom management, and emotional and spiritual support.

The RN performs comprehensive initial and ongoing assessments, identifies changes in condition, develops and updates care plans, and provides nursing interventions and education to patients and caregivers. The role includes coordinating with physicians and other care team members, maintaining complete and timely clinical records, supporting care transitions and referrals, and participating in on-call and patient support activities as applicable. The position requires travel using maintained transportation and work in patient homes or institutional settings, with potential exposure to infections 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 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 and of hospice and the special needs of hospice patients and families.
• Knowledge of the roles of disciplines providing hospice services and of community resources.
• Excellent patient assessment skills and knowledge of general nursing practice.
• Good oral and written communication skills, documentation, and program management abilities.
• Thorough knowledge of managed care principles and regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
• Ability to demonstrate sound judgment, empathy, adaptability, critical thinking, accountability, and regulatory compliance.
• Ability to communicate effectively with people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and to work cooperatively and flexibly with patients, families, coworkers, and hospice team members.
• Ability to support people during crisis and to deal tactfully and sensitively with patients and families facing life-and-death issues.
• Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, facsimile equipment, copier, and cell phone or beeper.
• Must have and maintain transportation for work.
• Ability to work in patient homes and/or institutional settings and an automobile, with potential exposure to infections, communicable diseases, odors, blood, excreta, and hazardous materials.
• Must meet applicable state-specific requirements and minimum requirements for benefits eligibility.

Nice To Haves

• Hospice or palliative care experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary point of contact for hospice patients and their families.
• Deliver and document skilled nursing care based on individualized plans of care in patients’ homes or institutional settings.
• Perform comprehensive in-person or telephone assessments and reassessments, monitor patient condition, and adjust care as needed.
• Provide skilled nursing interventions and symptom management aligned with 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, nurse practitioners, LPNs, CNAs, social workers, and chaplains.
• Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and loved ones, including education, comfort, and bereavement guidance.
• Educate patients, family members, and caregivers about disease processes, self-care, end-of-life care, medications, nutrition, and dietary needs; teach caregivers safe care techniques.
• Communicate changes in condition and signs or symptoms of decline to the appropriate provider and care team.
• Support continuity of care by recognizing and supporting appropriate home health, palliative care, and hospice referrals and transitions in levels of care.
• Maintain timely, accurate, and complete clinical records, including assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, and care plans.
• Follow infection-control, regulatory, policy, and compliance standards.
• 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.
• 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, 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 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 coverage.

What This Job Offers

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