Hospice Registered Nurse

Gentiva Hospice•Bellevue, WA

About The Position

The Hospice Registered Nurse (RN)/RN Case Manager provides personalized hospice and palliative nursing care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and supports their families. The nurse serves as a primary contact, delivers and documents skilled care in patients’ homes or institutional settings, and performs initial and ongoing assessments to guide care. The position includes developing and updating individualized plans of care, managing symptoms, educating patients and caregivers, and coordinating with an interdisciplinary team to respond to changing needs and support transitions in care. The nurse also provides emotional, physical, and spiritual support, communicates changes in patient condition to appropriate providers, maintains accurate clinical records, follows infection-control and compliance standards, and participates in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable. The role requires a current nursing license, CPR certification, a valid driver’s license, automobile insurance, and transportation for work. Work takes place in patients’ homes and/or institutional settings and in an automobile, with potential exposure to infections, communicable diseases, odors, blood, excreta, and hazardous materials.

Requirements

Registered Nurse.
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.
Transportation available and maintained for work.
Knowledge of terminally ill patients and their families, hospice, hospice disciplines, community resources, general nursing practice, and managed-care and regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
Strong patient assessment, oral and written communication, documentation, and program-management skills.
Ability to provide sensitive support to patients and families facing end-of-life issues and crises; demonstrate flexibility, tact, maturity, cooperation, and effective communication with people of varied socioeconomic backgrounds.
Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, facsimile equipment, a copier, and a cell phone or beeper.

Nice To Haves

Hospice or palliative care experience.

Responsibilities

Perform comprehensive patient assessments and reassessments, including in-person and telephonic 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, to meet patient needs and identify risks.
Coordinate care with interdisciplinary team members and consult with 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 and signs or symptoms of decline to the appropriate provider.
Support continuity of care, including appropriate referrals and transitions among home health, palliative, hospice, and levels of care.
Document screening and assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, and care plans in a timely manner.
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, providing clinically competent and responsive service.
Provide patients and families with guidance about hospice philosophy and services, medication administration, symptom and pain management, and end-of-life processes and expectations.
Support quality-improvement and scheduling initiatives and comply with infection-control, regulatory, and organizational standards.

Benefits

Competitive pay.
401(k) with company match.
Career advancement opportunities.
National and local recognition programs.
Teammate Assistance Fund.
For full-time associates: 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.
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 pet, critical illness, accident, and long-term care benefits.