Hospice Registered Nurse

SouthernCare • Merrillville, IN

14d

About The Position

The Hospice Registered Nurse (also referred to as an RN Case Manager) provides personalized hospice and palliative nursing care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and supports their families and caregivers. The nurse serves as a primary contact throughout the hospice journey, delivering and documenting skilled care in patients’ homes, assisted-living settings, or other institutional settings. The role includes assessing patient needs and condition, managing symptoms, developing individualized plans of care, coordinating with an interdisciplinary team, and providing practical, emotional, and spiritual support and education to patients and loved ones. The nurse also maintains timely and accurate clinical documentation, supports continuity of care and transitions between care levels, and participates in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable.

The position involves work in patients’ homes and/or institutional settings and in an automobile. Potential exposures include infections, communicable diseases, odors, blood, excreta, and hazardous materials. The role requires the ability to respond sensitively to end-of-life concerns, support people in crisis, communicate effectively with people from varied socioeconomic backgrounds, and adapt to changing tasks while maintaining composure.

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 and their families and an understanding of hospice 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.
• Good oral and written communication skills, documentation skills, and program-management skills.
• Knowledge of general nursing practice and managed-care principles.
• Knowledge of regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC requirements.
• Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, facsimile equipment, a copier, and a cell phone or beeper.
• Must have and maintain transportation for work.
• Sensitivity and tact when addressing life-and-death issues and supporting patients and families during crises.
• Ability to adapt to varied and changing tasks while maintaining efficiency and composure.
• Ability to communicate effectively with people from all socioeconomic backgrounds and work cooperatively with colleagues and hospice-team members.

Nice To Haves

• Hospice or palliative care experience.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary point of contact for hospice patients and their families.
• Perform comprehensive initial and ongoing patient assessments and reassessments, including in-person or telephone assessments and screenings.
• Deliver skilled nursing interventions and symptom management consistent with the patient’s goals of care.
• Develop and update individualized plans of care, including visit frequency, based on patient needs and identified risks.
• Provide hands-on nursing care and document care delivered in patients’ homes or institutional settings.
• Coordinate care with interdisciplinary team members, including physicians, nurse practitioners, LPNs, CNAs, social workers, and chaplains.
• Provide patient, family, and caregiver education about disease processes, self-care, end-of-life care, medications, nutrition, and dietary needs.
• Teach caregivers safe care techniques and provide emotional reassurance.
• Offer emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and their loved ones, including bereavement guidance.
• Communicate changes in condition and signs or symptoms of decline to the appropriate provider and care team.
• Support continuity of care, appropriate referrals, and transitions between levels of care.
• Maintain timely and accurate clinical records, including assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, and care plans.
• Follow infection-control, regulatory, policy, and compliance standards.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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, including 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 pet, critical illness, accident, and long-term care benefits for full-time associates.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed