Hospice Staff RN Per Diem

Hebrew Rehabilitation Center•Dedham, MA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Hebrew SeniorLife Hospice provides hospice services to terminally ill patients and their families in the greater Boston area. Its care is open to people of any religious affiliation and is informed by Jewish values. The hospice supports patients and families in the final months, weeks, and days of life by providing physical comfort, emotional and spiritual support, companionship, and bereavement support, with the goal of a peaceful, pain-free death when curing is no longer an option. As a member of the interdisciplinary group (IDG), the Hospice Registered Nurse provides professional nursing care in accordance with physician orders, the IDG plan of care, hospice policies and procedures, and the Massachusetts Registered Nurse Practice Act. The nurse works under the direction of the attending physician, Hospice Medical Director, and Clinical Director. The role includes patient visits and on-call coverage, assessment and management of pain and symptoms, coordination of hospice services, documentation, patient and family education, and supervision of hospice aides. The position is on-site and may involve working in multiple locations in a workday.

Requirements

Graduate from an accredited School of Nursing.
Currently hold a Massachusetts Registered Nurse license in good standing.
Have at least six months of acute-care RN experience before a home-care assignment, or experience as required by state regulations.
Have at least one year of RN experience.
Demonstrate the ability to assess and respond to patient and family needs in varied settings and cope with emotional stress.
Be able to function with minimal direct supervision and accept responsibility for maintaining professional relationships with patients and families.
Accept responsibility for maintaining clinical practice skills and continually learning and following hospice policies and procedures.
Have a reliable vehicle for travel to patient homes and facilities and a valid Massachusetts driver’s license.
Be able to work in multiple locations during a workday.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) preferred.
Hospice experience strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Assume responsibility for a patient visit or on-call schedule and perform the assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating phases of the nursing process.
Provide hospice nursing care based on systematic assessment, with a focus on pain control and symptom management.
Communicate with attending physicians, hospice staff, and other agencies as needed to coordinate patient and family care and resources.
Assess patients and develop individualized, comprehensive plans of care in partnership with the IDG and in accordance with hospice regulations and guidelines.
Routinely assess patient responses to care plans and perform comprehensive assessments, hospice aide supervision, and coordination and oversight of hospice services in assisted living, long-term care, skilled nursing, and hospital settings.
Maintain regular communication with the Clinical Director about assignments and with attending physicians and the Medical Director about patient and family needs.
Collect information on physical, psychological, social, and spiritual factors that may affect patient and family health, and incorporate it into the plan of care.
Maintain current patient records and accurately document assessment findings, observations, interventions, evaluations, and services on the day they are rendered; submit documentation in a timely manner and in accordance with agency policy and Medicare regulations.
Teach, supervise, and counsel patients and families about physical care, comfort, and issues related to the terminal condition.
Help patients and families prepare for and cope with anticipated physical and psychological events during the dying process.
Provide support at the time of death and during bereavement.
Meet regularly with hospice nursing staff to review caseload issues, provide professional support, exchange feedback, and support professional growth.
Participate in IDG conferences as needed and facilitate discussion of caseload issues for staff consultation and evaluation.
Supervise the Hospice Aide and aide plan of care at least every 14 days and document supervision; observe aide care onsite when concerns arise and notify the Clinical Director if ongoing concerns indicate a need for repeat competency evaluation.
Inform the Clinical Director of unusual or potentially problematic patient and family issues.
Share 24-hour, seven-day-a-week coverage, including evening and weekend on-call coverage.
Maintain working clinical knowledge and skills in hospice and end-of-life care, and pursue ongoing training in pain and symptom management interventions.