Palliative Care RN Non-Exempt

VITAS Healthcare•Torrance, CA

About The Position

The Palliative Care RN provides individualized coordination of care to patients and families in accordance with VITAS Palliative Care policies, procedures, guidelines, contractual commitments, and applicable regulations. The role includes comprehensive physical and psychosocial assessment, patient and family education, emotional support, care planning, referrals, and help accessing services and community resources. The nurse supports informed decision-making, goal-setting, advance care planning, and development of advance directives. The RN collaborates with clinicians and the healthcare team to coordinate transitions between hospital, primary care, and specialty care settings, and facilitates discharge planning and follow-up. The position participates in VITAS Palliative Care team meetings and the on-call rotation as needed, protects patient privacy and confidentiality, and uses a customer-service approach in interactions. Additional job-related duties may be assigned.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Current and valid professional license in the state where the position is based.
Current CPR and BLS/ACLS certification.
Reliable transportation, a current state driver’s license, and automobile insurance.
Exceptional communication and customer-service skills.
Ability to communicate tactfully, verbally and in writing, with department heads, managers, coworkers, and vendors to resolve problems and negotiate solutions.
Working knowledge of computers and internet-based systems, including Outlook, Excel, and Word.
Knowledge of the interdisciplinary team concept.

Nice To Haves

At least two years of experience in an acute care setting preferred.
One to two years of case management experience in a community-based setting, such as home health, rehabilitation, or hospice, preferred.
Experience in patient education, care planning, and management desired.
Master’s degree or higher preferred.
Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN) certification preferred.

Responsibilities

Coordinate individualized care for patients and families.
Complete initial and ongoing comprehensive physical and psychosocial assessments to identify needs and interventions.
Arrange appropriate referrals to specialists and support adherence to treatment plans, including physician visits.
Help patients access services and community resources.
Educate patients and families about disease processes, care plans, and treatment options to support informed decisions.
Provide emotional support and counseling to assist with transitions, adjustment to illness, and adherence to the treatment plan.
Evaluate physical and emotional recovery following treatment and use appropriate resources as needed.
Encourage appropriate goal-setting, advance care planning, and development of advance directives.
Build relationships with clinicians involved in patient care and participate in internal VITAS Palliative Care team meetings.
Promote patient-centered care and coordinate transitions between hospital, primary care, and specialty care settings.
Facilitate proactive discharge planning and follow-up to improve outcomes, decrease lengths of stay, and reduce readmissions.
Protect patient privacy and maintain confidentiality regarding patients, families, staff, and the organization.
Use a customer-service approach in interactions with VITAS customers.
Participate in the on-call rotation as needed.
Perform additional job-related duties as assigned.