Hospice Registered Nurse

Gentiva Hospice • Rochester, IN

2d

About The Position

The Hospice Registered Nurse (RN)/RN Case Manager provides personalized, skilled hospice nursing care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and supports their families and caregivers. The RN is the primary point of contact throughout the hospice journey, delivering care in patients’ homes, assisted living settings, or other places they call home. The role includes comprehensive assessments, symptom management, individualized care planning, caregiver education, clinical documentation, and coordination with an interdisciplinary team. The nurse also provides emotional, physical, and spiritual support and helps patients and families understand hospice services, medication administration, pain and symptom management, and end-of-life processes.

The position requires collaboration with physicians, nurse practitioners, LPNs, CNAs, social workers, chaplains, and other team members; timely communication about changes in patient condition; and compliance with clinical, infection-control, regulatory, and organizational standards. The nurse participates in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable and supports continuity of care, quality improvement, and scheduling initiatives.

Work is performed in patients’ homes and/or institutional settings, as well as in an automobile. The role may involve exposure to infections, communicable diseases, odors, blood, excreta, and hazardous materials. The employee must maintain transportation for work and be able to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, fax machines, copiers, and a cell phone or beeper. This is a safety-sensitive position.

Requirements

• Registered Nurse education or 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 requested employment.
• CPR certification.
• Current automobile insurance and a valid driver’s license.
• Knowledge of terminally ill patients and their families, 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 skills.
• Knowledge of managed-care principles and regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
• Ability to support people facing end-of-life issues and to deal tactfully and sensitively with patients, families, and coworkers.
• Ability to adapt to varied tasks without loss of efficiency or composure and communicate effectively with people of all socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Maturity, cooperation, flexibility, and tact in working with coworkers and hospice-team members.
• Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, fax machines, copiers, and a cell phone or beeper.
• Must have and maintain transportation for work.

Nice To Haves

• Hospice or palliative-care experience.

Responsibilities

• Perform comprehensive patient assessments and reassessments, including in-person and telephone RN assessments or screenings.
• 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, based on patient needs and identified risks.
• Coordinate care with interdisciplinary team members and consult with physicians and nurse practitioners.
• Educate patients, families, 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, appropriate referrals, and transitions between home health, palliative, hospice, and other 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 needed to achieve care-plan outcomes.
• Participate in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable, providing clinically competent and responsive service.
• Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and their loved ones, including bereavement guidance.
• Teach caregivers to provide safe and confident care and help patients and families navigate hospice philosophy and services, medication administration, symptom and pain management, and end-of-life expectations.
• Follow infection-control, regulatory, compliance, and organizational standards.
• 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.
• 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, for full-time associates.

What This Job Offers

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