Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner I

DaVita Kidney Care•01884 - IKC Supportive Care, VA

2d•$118,000 - $135,000•Remote

About The Position

The Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner I (NP I) provides specialized, person- and family-centered care to adults living with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), and complex comorbid conditions. The role’s primary mission is to connect patients with external palliative and hospice care aligned with their personal values and goals. The NP identifies eligible patients, leads goals-of-care discussions, facilitates orders and referrals within scope, and champions equitable access to concurrent hospice and dialysis care. As a clinical leader, the NP guides an assigned interdisciplinary team (IDT) of RNs and LCSWs, supporting collaborative care planning, case reviews, and transitions across care settings. The NP partners across Integrated Kidney Care (IKC) to advance clinical quality and program outcomes. The position is full-time and delivered remotely via telehealth, with Virginia and Pennsylvania preferred. DaVita Integrated Kidney Care is DaVita’s value-based care division, providing comprehensive chronic care management across the kidney care continuum, from CKD through ESKD and transplant. Its interdisciplinary teams support patients’ clinical and psychosocial needs outside the dialysis clinic through personalized care planning, symptom management, patient education, and transitions of care.

Requirements

Master’s or doctoral degree from an accredited Nurse Practitioner program.
Current, unrestricted RN and APRN/NP license in the state or states of practice.
Current national board certification in an adult-focused population, such as AGPCNP, AGACNP, or FNP.
Current BLS/CPR certification.
Eligibility to obtain DEA registration and state controlled-substance authority, as applicable.
Minimum of 5 years of Nurse Practitioner experience managing adults with serious or complex illness.
Experience in Palliative Care, Hospice, Nephrology, Geriatrics, or Complex Care Management.
Demonstrated expertise in serious illness communication, advance care planning, pain and symptom management (including controlled substances and renal dosing), and conservative kidney management.
Experience guiding interdisciplinary clinical teams, including RNs and social workers, and coordinating care among multiple stakeholders.
Ability to become credentialed with DaVita Kidney Care, Medicare, and commercial payers.
Proficiency with electronic health record systems, including Cerner and EPIC, and ability to demonstrate functional proficiency within 90 days.
Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Strong commitment to patient confidentiality, compliance, and ethical clinical practice.

Nice To Haves

Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (ACHPN®) certification.

Responsibilities

Coordinate external palliative care and hospice transitions from initial recommendation through start of care.
Confirm clinical eligibility, assess patient and family goals, and address outstanding clinical questions.
Complete orders and referrals within scope, or collaborate with authorized clinicians to obtain required orders and documentation.
Partner with hospice agencies, nephrology practices, dialysis clinics, and payers to facilitate concurrent hospice and dialysis care.
Ensure receiving organizations receive complete clinical records, track referrals, resolve transition barriers, and provide warm handoffs.
Evaluate and manage complex symptoms associated with advanced kidney disease and serious comorbid illnesses.
Use evidence-based pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions, including prescribing or deprescribing within scope, renal drug dosing, and ordering diagnostic studies.
Coordinate symptom management plans with nephrology, hospice, external palliative care, and primary care teams across transitions.
Conduct comprehensive assessments of physical symptoms, functional and cognitive status, psychosocial and spiritual needs, caregiver support, health literacy, treatment burden, prognosis, and quality-of-life priorities.
Review medical records, diagnostic and lab trends, medication regimens, and utilization history to develop individualized care plans with patients, families, and the IKC IDT.
Lead culturally responsive, values-based conversations about illness understanding, prognosis, and treatment preferences.
Facilitate shared decision-making on dialysis initiation or continuation, modality changes, conservative kidney management, resuscitation, and life-sustaining treatments.
Facilitate advance directives, healthcare proxy documentation, and portable medical orders such as POLST/MOLST.
Provide clinical guidance to an assigned IDT of RNs and LCSWs, leading case reviews, care planning, clinical prioritization, and closed-loop communication.
Partner with Care Coordinators, clinical operations, quality improvement, and leadership stakeholders to optimize workflows and integrate palliative care across the IKC care model.
Document assessments, shared decision-making, referrals, provider collaboration, barriers, and transition milestones promptly and accurately.
Support clinical quality metrics, including time to start of care, referral completion rates, and transition outcomes.
Perform other duties as assigned.