Hospice Registered Nurse

Gentiva Hospice•Cary, NC

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Hospice Registered Nurse provides personalized, compassionate hospice and palliative care to patients facing life-limiting illness and supports their families. The RN serves as a primary contact, delivers and documents skilled nursing care in patients’ homes or institutional settings, assesses and monitors patient needs, and develops and updates individualized plans of care. The role includes symptom management, patient and caregiver education, emotional support, coordination with interdisciplinary clinicians, communication of changes in condition, and timely, accurate clinical documentation. The RN also supports continuity of care, appropriate transitions and referrals, quality and scheduling initiatives, and on-call and patient-support activities as applicable.

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, 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, oral and written communication, documentation, and program-management skills.
Knowledge of general nursing practice, managed-care principles, and regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
Ability to use sound clinical judgment, communicate empathetically, collaborate with an interdisciplinary team, adapt and think critically, and maintain timely visits and accurate records.
Sensitivity and tact when supporting people facing terminal illness, death, and crisis; ability to communicate effectively with people of all socioeconomic backgrounds.
Flexibility, maturity, cooperation, and composure while performing varied tasks and working with coworkers and hospice team members.
Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, facsimile equipment, a copier, 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 skilled nursing interventions and symptom management in alignment with the 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 interdisciplinary team members, including physicians and nurse practitioners, and maintain effective working relationships with the IDG.
Educate patients, families, and caregivers about disease processes, self-care, end-of-life care, medications, nutrition, and dietary needs.
Teach caregivers to provide safe care and help patients and families understand medication administration, hospice philosophy and services, symptom and pain management, and end-of-life processes.
Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and their loved ones, including comfort and bereavement guidance.
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 home health, palliative care, and hospice referrals and transitions between levels of care.
Document screening and assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, care plans, and other clinical records accurately and promptly.
Follow infection-control, regulatory, policy, and compliance standards.
Participate in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable, responding in a clinically competent and timely manner.
Support organizational quality-improvement and scheduling initiatives and participate in team collaboration and IDG activities.

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 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.