Nurse Practitioner Palliative Care

Eternal Faith•Chula, GA

About The Position

Eternal Faith is seeking a Nurse Practitioner to provide palliative care services. The Nurse Practitioner assists physicians in overseeing the clinical care and treatment of patients and families, consults with patients’ attending physicians in coordination with the hospice physician, and provides clinical direction to the Interdisciplinary Group/Team to support quality care. The role includes face-to-face documentation and home visits for palliation and management of patients’ terminal illnesses and related conditions. The Nurse Practitioner is a member of the Interdisciplinary Group/Team and reports to the Hospice Administrator. The Nurse Practitioner collaborates with the team on evaluation, palliative treatment, and patient/family plans of care; educates patients, families, and staff; performs and documents visits and assessments; and communicates changes in patient needs and outcomes of interventions. Assigned duties include face-to-face encounters before the third benefit period and each subsequent period, providing assessment results to the hospice physician, supporting clinical staff and attending physicians, making home visits, and offering consultation on palliative and end-of-life care. The position also includes on-call responsibilities as assigned, timely completion of required paperwork, compliance support, and meeting industry caseload and productivity standards. Work takes place in patient homes and may involve varied conditions, exposure to blood, bodily fluids, or infectious diseases, unpleasant weather, local travel, and emergency calls. The position requires schedule flexibility and may involve stressful conditions and time-sensitive decisions. Physical requirements include prolonged standing and walking, lifting up to 50 pounds, and moving patients. The Nurse Practitioner must be able to travel to patient homes and office or support-center locations and use a tablet and Electronic Health Record to review, assess, record, or type data accurately.

Requirements

Graduate of a Baccalaureate School of Nursing and a Nurse Practitioner-focused master’s or doctoral nursing program.
Current state license as a Registered Nurse and as an Advanced Practice Nurse.
Current driver’s license.
Two years of experience as an Advanced Practice Nurse; experience in a clinical care setting is preferred, particularly hospice or home health.
Knowledge of psychosocial, ethical, legal, and medical aspects of hospice care.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with patients’ families, staff, the Governing Body, the Interdisciplinary Team, and physicians.
Ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams.
Excellent problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.
Commitment to patient-centered care and family support.
Reliable transportation and valid auto liability insurance.
Ability to travel locally and to patient homes and office/support-center locations.
Ability to work a flexible schedule and respond to PRN emergency calls.
Ability to stand and walk for prolonged periods, lift up to 50 pounds, and move patients.
Ability to communicate effectively and exchange accurate information with patients, families, physicians, coworkers, and visitors.
Ability to give full attention to others, understand their points, ask questions appropriately, and avoid interrupting at inappropriate times.
Ability to make independent judgments and decisions and use logic and reasoning to evaluate alternative solutions or approaches.
Ability to use a tablet and Electronic Health Record to review, assess, record, or type data quickly and accurately.
Ability to determine resources needed to provide quality patient care.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a clinical care setting, particularly hospice or home health.
End-of-Life or Palliative Accreditation, Certification, or Specialty Practice; examples include HPM Fellowship, HPM Certification, ABMS, AOA, and HMDCB.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with the Interdisciplinary Group/Team to evaluate and provide appropriate palliative treatment for terminal disease.
Consult with and assist the team in developing patient/family plans of care.
Educate patients and families about disease processes, self-care techniques, and end-of-life care.
Provide training and clinical education to staff and other Interdisciplinary Group/Team members as needed.
Perform and document patient/family visits according to the plan of care and patient/family needs.
Coordinate with attending and consulting physicians regarding palliative care, in collaboration with the hospice physician.
Actively participate in the Interdisciplinary Group/Team and communicate effectively, appropriately, and promptly.
Inform physicians and other personnel of changes in patient needs and intervention outcomes, and evaluate patient/family responses to care.
Complete assigned face-to-face encounters before the third benefit period and each subsequent benefit period, and provide assessment results to the hospice physician.
Provide clinical direction and education to clinical staff, serve as a role model, and consult with attending physicians.
Act as a liaison with the medical community and communicate with attending physicians as needed to support optimal patient care.
Perform home visits, patient assessments, and interventions as requested by the Interdisciplinary Group/Team.
Provide consultation on palliative and end-of-life care issues and complete face-to-face assessments as needed.
Support the hospice’s goals, vision, philosophy, and administrative policies.
Promote compliance with fiscal intermediaries and other third-party payors through education, coaching, and assistance.
Provide care using infection-control measures, including OSHA measures.
Submit all required paperwork accurately and on time.
Meet industry caseload and productivity standards.
Perform on-call responsibilities and provide on-call services to patients and families as assigned.
Maintain commitment, professional growth, and competency.