Hospice Registered Nurse

Gentiva•Springfield, IL

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 point of contact, delivers skilled care in patients’ homes or institutional settings, and collaborates with an interdisciplinary team to develop and update individualized plans of care. The role includes assessing patients, managing symptoms, educating patients and caregivers, communicating changes in condition, maintaining clinical documentation, and supporting continuity of care and quality improvement initiatives. Care may include emotional, physical, and spiritual support, caregiver guidance, and information about medications, hospice services, symptom and pain management, and end-of-life expectations. The role includes participating in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable. 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. The position requires transportation for work and use of nursing assessment tools, computers, facsimile equipment, a copier, and a cell phone or beeper. Compensation is listed as $71,830–$89,785; it may vary based on location, experience, education, skills, licensure, certifications, and department equity.

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.
Must have and maintain transportation for work.
Knowledge of terminally ill patients and their families, hospice, hospice-service disciplines, community resources, general nursing practice, managed care principles, and applicable regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
Strong patient assessment skills and oral and written communication skills; ability to document and manage programs.
Ability to support patients and families facing life-and-death issues and crises, communicate effectively across socioeconomic backgrounds, and work with tact, maturity, cooperation, and flexibility.
Ability to perform a variety of tasks and change between tasks without losing efficiency or composure.
Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, facsimile equipment, a copier, and a cell phone or beeper.
Must meet minimum requirements to be eligible for benefits and, where applicable, state-specific requirements.

Nice To Haves

Hospice or palliative care experience.

Responsibilities

Serve as a primary point of contact for patients and families throughout the hospice journey.
Perform comprehensive initial and ongoing patient assessments, including in-person and telephonic assessments or screenings, and provide education as appropriate.
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 plans of care, including visit frequency, based on patient needs and identified risks.
Coordinate care with the interdisciplinary team, including physicians, nurse practitioners, LPNs, CNAs, social workers, chaplains, and other providers.
Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and loved ones, including education, comfort, and bereavement guidance.
Teach caregivers safe care techniques and provide practical training and emotional reassurance.
Educate patients and caregivers about disease processes, self-care, end-of-life care, medications, nutrition, hospice philosophy and services, and symptom and pain management.
Communicate changes in patient condition and signs or symptoms of decline to appropriate providers and the care team.
Support continuity of care by recognizing and supporting appropriate home health, palliative care, and hospice referrals and transitions between levels of care.
Maintain timely, accurate clinical records, including assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, and care plans, and follow infection-control, regulatory, and compliance standards.
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, responding in a clinically competent and timely manner.
Support quality improvement and scheduling initiatives and participate in team collaboration and interdisciplinary group activities.