Hospice Registered Nurse

Gentiva Hospice•Anderson, SC

11d

About The Position

The Hospice Registered Nurse (RN Case Manager) provides personalized hospice and palliative nursing care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and supports their families. The RN serves as a primary contact, delivers and documents skilled care based on individualized plans of care, assesses patients and adjusts care as needed, and coordinates with an interdisciplinary team. Care may be provided in patients’ homes, assisted living, or other institutional settings. The role includes managing symptoms, educating patients and caregivers, offering emotional and practical support, communicating changes in condition, maintaining accurate clinical records, and participating in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable. The RN also supports continuity of care, quality improvement, scheduling, regulatory compliance, and appropriate transitions among home health, palliative, and hospice services.

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 employment.
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.
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 life-and-death issues and to communicate effectively with people from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
Flexibility, sound judgment, maturity, cooperation, tact, and ability to change tasks without loss of efficiency or composure.
Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, facsimile equipment, copier, and cell phone or beeper.
Must have and maintain transportation for work.
Ability to work in patients’ homes, institutional settings, and an automobile, with potential exposure to infections, communicable diseases, odors, blood, excreta, and hazardous materials.

Nice To Haves

Hospice or palliative care experience.

Responsibilities

Perform comprehensive patient assessments and reassessments, including in-person and telephonic assessments or screenings, and educate patients, families, and caregivers 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 and identification of patient needs and risks.
Coordinate care with interdisciplinary team members, including 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, appropriate referrals, and transitions among home health, palliative, hospice, and other levels of care.
Document timely clinical records, including assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, and care plans.
Maintain working relationships with the interdisciplinary group and involve the team when needed to achieve desired outcomes.
Participate in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable, providing clinically competent and responsive on-call services.
Serve as a primary point of contact for patients and families throughout the hospice journey.
Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and their loved ones, including bereavement guidance.
Teach caregivers how to provide safe care and help them understand medication administration, hospice services, symptom and pain management, and end-of-life processes.
Maintain infection-control and compliance standards and 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 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.