Nurse Practitioner - Hospice

Lifecare Home Health Family•Fort Worth, TX

13d•Onsite

About The Position

The Nurse Practitioner assists physicians in overseeing the clinical care and treatment of hospice patients and their families. In consultation with the hospice physician, the Nurse Practitioner works with patients’ attending physicians and provides clinical direction to the Interdisciplinary Group/Team to support quality care. The role includes completing face-to-face documentation and making home visits to provide palliation and manage patients’ terminal illnesses and related conditions. The Nurse Practitioner serves as a member of the Interdisciplinary Group/Team and reports to the Hospice Administrator. The Nurse Practitioner conducts patient assessments and visits, contributes to plans of care, educates patients, families, and staff, and consults with physicians and other team members regarding palliative and end-of-life care. The position involves on-call responsibilities and local travel to patient homes and office or support center locations. Work takes place in patient homes under varying conditions, with possible exposure to blood, bodily fluids, infectious diseases, unpleasant weather, and stressful circumstances. A flexible schedule and PRN emergency calls are noted.

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 the psychosocial, ethical, legal, and medical aspects of hospice care.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with patient 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 work a flexible schedule, travel locally, and respond to PRN emergency calls.
Ability to stand and walk for prolonged periods, lift up to 50 pounds, and move patients.
Ability to work under stressful conditions, meet deadlines and patient needs, make quick decisions, acquire resources, and address individualized patient and family psychosocial needs.
Eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity.
Ability to communicate and exchange information effectively with patients, families, physicians, coworkers, and visitors.
Ability to hear sounds and listen attentively, understand others, ask appropriate questions, and avoid interrupting inappropriately.
Ability to make independent judgments and decisions and use logic and reasoning to assess alternative solutions and approaches.
Ability to view a tablet and Electronic Health Record and review, assess, record, or type data quickly and accurately.
Ability to determine the resources needed to provide quality patient care.
Ability to travel to patient homes and office or support center locations to provide care or education.

Nice To Haves

End-of-life or palliative accreditation, certification, or specialty practice is desirable; examples include HPM Fellowship, HPM Certification, ABMS, AOA, and HMDCB.
Hospice or home health experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with the Interdisciplinary Group/Team to ensure appropriate evaluation and palliative treatment of terminal disease.
Consult with and assist the Interdisciplinary Group/Team in developing patient and family plans of care.
Educate patients and families about disease processes, self-care techniques, and end-of-life care; train other staff as needed.
Perform and document patient and family visits based on the plan of care and their needs.
Consult with attending and consulting physicians regarding palliative care, in collaboration with the hospice physician.
Provide education to other Interdisciplinary Group/Team members about clinical issues relating to palliation as needed.
Participate actively in the Interdisciplinary Group/Team and communicate effectively, promptly, and appropriately.
Inform physicians and other personnel about changes in patient needs and intervention outcomes, and evaluate patient and family responses to care.
Complete assigned face-to-face encounters before the third benefit period and during each subsequent period.
Provide hospice physicians with clinical assessment results after assigned face-to-face encounters.
Provide medical direction and education to clinical staff, serve as a role model, and consult with attending physicians.
Liaise with the medical community and attending physicians as needed to support optimum 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 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 other assistance.
Demonstrate professional commitment, growth, and competency.
Provide care using infection-control measures in accordance with OSHA requirements.
Work with the Interdisciplinary Group/Team to meet patient and family needs.
Submit all required paperwork accurately and on time.
Meet industry caseload and productivity standards.
Perform assigned on-call responsibilities and provide on-call services to patients and families.
Communicate effectively with patients, family members, team members, and other health care professionals.