Nurse Practitioner, NP

Gentiva Hospice•Branford, CT

About The Position

The Nurse Practitioner provides comprehensive, patient-centered care to people with serious illnesses. Depending on market needs, the role may serve patients in hospice, palliative care, or both. The position delivers advanced clinical care, patient management visits, and hospice Face-to-Face (F2F) encounters for eligibility certification and recertification, working autonomously and collaboratively with physicians and interdisciplinary teams. The Nurse Practitioner supports patients and families with complex medical decisions, symptom management, and end-of-life care. The role includes conducting required hospice F2F visits within CMS timeframes; initial, admission, symptom-management, goals-of-care, and follow-up visits; assessing physical, emotional, functional, and psychosocial needs; and supporting individualized care plans. The Nurse Practitioner may diagnose and treat conditions, manage medications and symptoms, prescribe and order tests within applicable authority, coordinate care across settings, make referrals, and support care transitions. The position also documents findings and F2F attestations, communicates recommendations to the interdisciplinary team, and ensures compliance with regulatory and organizational requirements. This is a PRN position with a flexible schedule for hospice eligibility visits. Compensation is $125 per F2F visit and $50.00–$55.00 per hour. Compensation may vary based on factors such as location, experience, education, skills, licensure, certifications, and internal equity. The position is safety-sensitive and requires compliance with applicable state requirements. The employer describes itself as a national provider of hospice, palliative care, home health care, and advanced illness management, with nearly 600 locations and thousands of clinicians across 38 states.

Requirements

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or higher from an accredited program.
Completion of an accredited Nurse Practitioner program.
Current RN license and Nurse Practitioner license or certification in the state of practice.
National Nurse Practitioner certification through ANCC or AANP.
Collaborative Practice Agreement with a supervising internal physician, or proof of Independent Practice Authority in accordance with state regulations.
Controlled Substance Agreement, if applicable.
DEA registration and prescriptive authority in accordance with state regulations.
Current CPR certification.
Valid driver’s license and current automobile insurance.
Strong clinical assessment and critical-thinking skills across palliative and hospice populations.
In-depth understanding of palliative care principles, hospice philosophy, home health eligibility, and end-of-life care.
Working knowledge of LCD criteria, Medicare and Medicaid regulations, coding and billing, and documentation requirements.
Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
Knowledge of Hospice & Palliative Quality Measures collection, documentation, reporting, and the QAPI process.
Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
Compassion, emotional intelligence, and sensitivity to the needs of patients and families.
Proficiency with point-of-care technology and electronic medical records.
Sensitivity to life-and-death issues affecting people with terminal illness and tact in dealing with patients and families.
Ability to support others during a crisis.
Flexibility to change tasks without loss of efficiency or composure.
Ability to communicate effectively with people from varied socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.
Maturity, cooperation, flexibility, and tact when working with coworkers and hospice team members.
Compliance with OSHA, State Board of Nursing, and federal regulations related to hospice Conditions of Participation.

Nice To Haves

At least two years of Nurse Practitioner experience.
Experience in hospice, palliative care, oncology, geriatrics, family or adult medicine, home health, or acute care.
Experience with Part B billing.
ACHPN certification.

Responsibilities

Complete patient visits, including Medicare-required hospice F2F encounters within CMS timeframes, initial comprehensive visits, symptom-management visits, admission visits, goals-of-care discussions, and routine follow-ups.
Collaborate with Hospice and Palliative Medical Directors and interdisciplinary teams to deliver comprehensive, patient-centered care.
Coordinate plans of care with primary care or attending providers and specialists, as applicable.
Conduct in-depth physical, emotional, functional, and psychosocial patient assessments.
Develop and support individualized care plans with patients, families, caregivers, and the interdisciplinary group or team.
Manage patient care, including diagnosis, acute and chronic symptoms, treatment, medication management, assessments, serious-illness support, quality-of-life optimization, and consultations.
Prescribe medications and treatments, including controlled substances, within state and federal requirements and applicable practice authority or agreement.
Order and interpret laboratory and other diagnostic tests within scope of practice and applicable agreements.
Facilitate goals-of-care discussions, advance care planning, and level-of-care transitions when appropriate.
Coordinate care across home, skilled nursing facilities, and assisted living settings.
Initiate referrals to supportive services and community resources as needed.
Use Local Coverage Determination criteria to support hospice eligibility and recertification.
Document clinical findings accurately and attest F2F encounters in the medical record in compliance with regulatory standards.
Communicate findings, treatment plans, diagnostics, and medication reviews to the interdisciplinary group or team, and provide clinical recommendations based on assessments.
Ensure alignment with Medicare, Medicaid, accrediting body, and organizational requirements.
Notify appropriate team members promptly about barriers to completing scheduled visits.
Provide care and visit coverage across multiple provider numbers when needed and approved.
Maintain comprehensive knowledge of hospice and palliative care.
Partner with physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and other interdisciplinary team members.
Communicate compassionately with patients, caregivers, and families, supporting them through serious illness and end-of-life transitions.
Participate in an on-call rotation as needed.
Maintain timely, accurate, and compliant clinical documentation.
Follow applicable federal, state, OSHA, and hospice Conditions of Participation requirements.
Demonstrate understanding of hospice eligibility, documentation standards, and Part B billing practices as applicable.
Maintain productivity and documentation standards aligned with organizational expectations.

Benefits

Competitive pay.
401(k) with company match.
Career advancement opportunities.
National and local recognition programs.
Teammate Assistance Fund.
For full-time associates: 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 pathways.
For full-time associates: free continuing education units (CEUs).
For full-time associates: company-paid life and long-term disability insurance.
Voluntary benefits, including pet, critical illness, accident, and long-term care coverage.