Hospice Registered Nurse
About The Position
Gentiva is seeking a Hospice Registered Nurse to deliver personalized hospice and palliative nursing care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and support their families. The nurse serves as a primary contact throughout the hospice journey and provides skilled, hands-on care in patients’ homes, assisted living facilities, and other settings where they receive care. The role involves assessing patients, managing symptoms, coordinating with an interdisciplinary team, educating caregivers, and offering emotional, physical, and spiritual support. The nurse develops and updates individualized plans of care, documents clinical services, communicates changes in patient condition, and supports continuity of care and transitions between care settings or levels. The position also participates in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable and contributes to quality improvement, scheduling, and regulatory compliance. Work takes place in patients’ homes or institutional settings and in an automobile; potential exposures include 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 employment.
- CPR certification.
- Current automobile insurance and a valid driver’s license.
- Knowledge of terminally ill patients and their families and of hospice services and the special needs of hospice patients and families.
- Knowledge of the roles of disciplines providing hospice services and of community resources.
- Excellent patient assessment skills and knowledge of general nursing practice.
- Oral and written communication, documentation, and program management skills.
- Knowledge of managed care principles and regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
- Ability to demonstrate sensitivity, tact, flexibility, maturity, cooperation, and composure when supporting patients and families facing life-and-death issues.
- Ability to communicate effectively with people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and work cooperatively with coworkers and hospice team members.
- Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, facsimile equipment, copier, and cell phone or beeper.
- Must have and maintain transportation for work.
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.
- Deliver and document skilled nursing interventions and symptom management in accordance with patients’ goals of care and individualized plans.
- 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, nurse practitioners, LPNs, CNAs, social workers, and chaplains.
- Provide patients, family members, and caregivers with education on disease processes, self-care, end-of-life care, medication administration, symptom and pain management, nutrition, hospice services, and end-of-life expectations.
- Offer emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and their loved ones, including bereavement guidance.
- Teach caregivers how to provide safe and effective care and offer practical training and emotional reassurance.
- Communicate changes in patient condition and signs or symptoms of decline to appropriate providers and the care team.
- Support continuity of care, appropriate referrals, and transitions between home health, palliative, hospice, and other levels of care.
- Maintain timely and accurate clinical records, including assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, and care plans.
- Follow infection-control, regulatory, compliance, and organizational policy standards.
- Maintain effective 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.
- Support quality improvement and scheduling initiatives.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) with company match
- Paid time off
- Seven paid holidays
- Wellness programs and resources, including telemedicine, diabetes management, and joint and spine concierge care
- FMLA, ADA, and other federally and state-required leaves
- Short- and long-term disability
- Health savings account contribution
- Mileage reimbursement or fleet vehicle program
- Cell phone reimbursement for eligible roles
- Short-term incentive for eligible roles
- Tuition reimbursement and education support, including ASN-to-BSN and BSN-to-MSN support
- Free continuing education units
- Company-paid life and long-term disability insurance
- Voluntary benefits, including pet, critical illness, accident, and long-term care coverage
- Career advancement opportunities
- National and local recognition programs
- Teammate Assistance Fund
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
