Hospice Registered Nurse

Gentiva Hospice•Williamsburg, VA

11d

About The Position

Gentiva Hospice is seeking a Hospice Registered Nurse to provide individualized, compassionate hospice and palliative care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and support their families. The RN serves as a primary contact for patients and families, delivering and documenting skilled nursing care according to individualized plans of care in patients’ homes, assisted living facilities, or other settings where they live. The role includes conducting in-person and telephone assessments, managing symptoms, updating care plans and visit frequency, coordinating with an interdisciplinary team, educating patients and caregivers, communicating changes in condition, and maintaining complete and timely clinical records. The RN also supports continuity of care, participates in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable, and contributes to quality, scheduling, compliance, and team collaboration initiatives. The position involves working in patients’ homes and/or institutional settings and traveling by automobile. The role may involve exposure to infections, communicable diseases, odors, blood, excreta, and hazardous materials. Candidates must hold a current nursing license in the state of employment, CPR certification, valid driver’s license, and current automobile insurance, and must maintain transportation for work. Gentiva describes the position as safety-sensitive and offers a salary range of $80,000–$90,000, with compensation dependent on factors including location, experience, education, skills, and credentials.

Requirements

Registered Nurse education and 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.
Maintain transportation for work.
Knowledge of terminally ill patients and their families and understanding of hospice and the special needs of hospice patients and families.
Knowledge of the roles of disciplines providing hospice services.
Strong patient assessment skills.
Knowledge of community resources, general nursing practice, documentation, and program management.
Good oral and written communication skills.
Knowledge of managed care principles and regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
Sensitivity to end-of-life issues and tact in supporting patients and families during crises.
Flexibility to perform varied tasks while maintaining efficiency and composure.
Ability to communicate effectively with people from varied socioeconomic backgrounds.
Maturity, cooperation, flexibility, and tact in working with coworkers and hospice team members.
Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, fax equipment, copier, and cell phone or beeper.
Ability to meet the physical and other requirements of work in patient homes and/or institutional settings, including potential exposure to infections and hazardous materials.

Nice To Haves

Hospice or palliative care experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Perform comprehensive patient assessments and reassessments, including in-person and telephone RN assessments and screenings.
Deliver skilled nursing interventions and symptom management consistent with patients’ 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 appropriate providers.
Support continuity of care, including appropriate referrals and transitions among home health, palliative care, hospice, and levels of care.
Maintain timely clinical records, including screening and assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, and care plans.
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 emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and loved ones, including education, comfort, and bereavement guidance.
Teach caregivers safe and confident caregiving practices and provide practical and emotional support.
Follow infection-control, regulatory, policy, and compliance standards.
Support organizational quality-improvement and scheduling initiatives.
Help patients and families understand medication administration, hospice philosophy and services, symptom and pain management, and end-of-life processes and expectations.