Palliative Care RN Non-Exempt

VITAS Healthcare•San Diego, CA

About The Position

The Palliative Care RN provides individualized coordination of care to patients and families, conducting comprehensive physical and psychosocial assessments and identifying needs and opportunities for intervention. The role supports treatment plans, arranges referrals, helps patients access services and community resources, and educates patients and families about disease processes, care plans, and treatment options. The nurse also provides emotional support and counseling, evaluates recovery following treatment, and encourages goal-setting and advance care planning. The RN collaborates with clinicians and the healthcare team, participates in internal palliative care team meetings, and helps coordinate transitions among hospital, primary care, and specialty care settings. The position facilitates discharge planning and follow-up to support outcomes and reduce readmissions, protects patient privacy and confidentiality, and uses a customer-service approach in interactions. Participation in the on-call rotation is required as needed. Additional job-related duties may be assigned.

Requirements

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 the ability to navigate automated systems and applications such as Outlook, Excel, and Word.
Knowledge of the interdisciplinary team concept.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Coordinate individualized care for patients and families.
Complete initial and ongoing comprehensive physical and psychosocial assessments to identify needs and areas for intervention.
Arrange appropriate specialist referrals and support adherence to treatment plans, including physician visits for evaluation and ongoing management.
Help patients access services and community resources.
Educate patients and families about disease processes, care plans, and treatment options to support informed decision-making.
Provide emotional support and counseling to improve transitions, adjustment to illness, and adherence to treatment plans.
Evaluate patients’ physical and emotional recovery following treatment and use appropriate resources as needed.
Encourage patients to set goals and discuss advance care planning and advance directives.
Build relationships with clinicians involved in patients’ care and participate in internal palliative care team meetings.
Partner with the healthcare team to manage transitions between hospital, primary care, and specialty care settings.
Facilitate proactive discharge planning and follow-up.
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.