Hospice Registered Nurse

SouthernCare • Kokomo, IN

3d

About The Position

The Hospice Registered Nurse provides personalized hospice and palliative nursing care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and supports their families. The RN serves as a primary contact throughout the hospice journey, delivering hands-on care in patients’ homes, assisted living facilities, or other settings where they live. The role includes assessing patients, managing symptoms, developing and updating individualized care plans, educating patients and caregivers, and coordinating care with an interdisciplinary team.

The nurse provides emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and loved ones, communicates changes in condition to appropriate providers, and maintains accurate clinical records in accordance with regulatory, infection-control, and organizational standards. The position also supports continuity of care, quality improvement, scheduling initiatives, and on-call and patient-support activities as applicable.

Requirements

• Registered Nurse education and 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, 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 skills, and program-management knowledge.
• Knowledge of managed-care principles and regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
• Ability to support patients and families facing end-of-life issues and crises with sensitivity and tact.
• Ability to adapt to varied tasks without loss of efficiency or composure and to communicate effectively with people from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Maturity, cooperation, flexibility, and tact when 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 initial and ongoing patient assessments and reassessments, including in-person or telephonic RN assessments and screenings.
• Deliver and document skilled nursing interventions and symptom management aligned with each patient’s goals of care and individualized Plan of Care.
• Develop and update individualized care plans, including visit frequency, based on patient needs and identified risks.
• Coordinate care with interdisciplinary team members, including physicians, nurse practitioners, LPNs, CNAs, social workers, and chaplains.
• Provide education to patients, families, and caregivers about disease processes, self-care, end-of-life care, medications, nutrition, hospice services, and symptom and pain management.
• Teach caregivers to provide care safely and confidently, offering practical instruction and emotional reassurance.
• Communicate changes in patient condition and signs or symptoms of decline to the appropriate provider.
• Support continuity of care by recognizing and supporting appropriate home health, palliative care, and hospice referrals and transitions between 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 the patient’s care plan warrants collaboration.
• Participate in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable, providing clinically competent and responsive service.
• Follow infection-control, regulatory, and organizational compliance 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 for ASN-to-BSN and BSN-to-MSN programs for full-time associates
• Free continuing education units (CEUs) 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