Hospice Staff RN Per Diem

Hebrew SeniorLife•Dedham, MA

7d•$78,576 - $117,864•Onsite

About The Position

Hebrew SeniorLife Hospice provides hospice services to terminally ill patients and their families in the greater Boston area. Its care is grounded in Jewish values while welcoming people of any religious affiliation. The Hospice works with patients and families during the final months, weeks, and days of life to provide physical comfort, emotional and spiritual support, companionship, and bereavement support, with the aim of helping patients experience a peaceful, pain-free death. As a member of the interdisciplinary group (IDG), the Hospice Registered Nurse provides professional nursing care under physician and clinical leadership, in accordance with physician orders, the IDG plan of care, Hospice policies and procedures, and Massachusetts RN practice requirements. The nurse identifies patient and family needs and provides supportive care, including assessment, care planning, implementation, evaluation, symptom management, education, coordination, and oversight of services in a variety of care settings.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited School of Nursing.
Current, good-standing license to practice as a Registered Nurse in Massachusetts.
At least six months of RN experience in an acute care setting before a home care assignment, or experience as required by state regulations.
At least one year of experience as an RN.
Ability to assess and respond to patient and family needs in varied settings and cope with emotional stress.
Ability to function with minimal direct supervision and maintain professional relationships with patients and families.
Responsibility for maintaining clinical practice skills and ongoing adherence to Hospice policies and procedures.
Reliable vehicle for travel to patient homes and facilities, and a valid Massachusetts driver’s license.
Ability to work in multiple locations during a workday.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
Experience in Hospice.

Responsibilities

Manage assigned patient visits or on-call schedules, including assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating nursing care.
Provide Hospice nursing care based on systematic assessment, with a focus on pain control and symptom management.
Coordinate care and resources by communicating with attending physicians, Hospice staff, and other agencies as needed.
Assess patients and develop individualized, comprehensive plans of care with the interdisciplinary group in accordance with Hospice regulations and guidelines.
Routinely assess patient responses to care plans and conduct comprehensive assessments, supervise hospice aides, and coordinate and oversee Hospice services in assisted living, long-term care, skilled nursing, and hospital settings.
Communicate regularly with the Clinical Director about assignments and with attending physicians or the Medical Director about patient and family needs.
Collect information on physical, psychological, social, and spiritual factors affecting patient and family health, and incorporate it into the plan of care.
Maintain current, clear, and accurate patient records that reflect problems, plans, actions, goals, and changes in accordance with agency policy and Medicare regulations.
Document assessment findings, observations, interventions, evaluations, and services on the day they are provided, and submit documentation promptly.
Teach, supervise, and counsel patients and families about physical care, comfort, and concerns related to the terminal condition.
Help patients and families prepare for and cope with anticipated physical and psychological events during the dying process, and provide support at death and during bereavement.
Meet regularly with Hospice nursing staff to discuss 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 the supervision; observe aides providing care when concerns arise and notify the Clinical Director if ongoing concerns warrant a repeat competency evaluation.
Inform the Clinical Director of unusual or potentially problematic patient or family issues.
Share in providing 24-hour, seven-day-a-week patient and family coverage, including evening and weekend on-call coverage.
Maintain clinical knowledge and skills in Hospice and end-of-life care and pursue ongoing training in pain and symptom management.