Palliative Nurse Liaison

VIA Health Partners•Dunean, SC

About The Position

The Nurse Liaison ensures that patients’ palliative medicine needs are met. The role is primarily patient-focused, with additional responsibilities in community education and customer service. By building positive relationships with communities, the Nurse Liaison supports the image and acceptance of the palliative medicine team and VIA Health Partners. The role works closely with VIA team members, including the Strategic Accounts Manager and, when appropriate, the AVP, to provide consistent communication and high-quality customer service. When a patient is appropriate for hospice, the Nurse Liaison assists the admission team with a smooth transition. The position reviews referrals and medical records, manages patient contacts according to acuity, documents visits and communication, serves as a point of contact for patients and care partners, and collaborates with nurse practitioners and other team members on scheduling and care. It also provides or coordinates education for patients, families, community staff, referral sources, and VIA staff; supports a seamless referral process; and helps address unmet community expectations.

Requirements

Diploma or associate degree in nursing required.
Current, active, unrestricted compact (multistate) license as a Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) required.
Current CPR certification required.
Minimum of 2 years of related experience.
Experience providing direct care to patients with life-limiting illnesses required.
Ability to perform nursing assessments required.
Computer proficiency required.
Excellent written and verbal interpersonal and communication skills.
Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
Ability to be well organized, self-directed, and manage time.
Ability to be flexible, innovative, resourceful, and creative.
Ability to interact with patients and family members in varying psychosocial circumstances complicated by terminal illness.
Ability to be diplomatic yet assertive.
Knowledge of nursing principles, practices, and policies, with sound clinical skills.
Understanding of hospice and/or home healthcare policies and procedures.
Strong belief in the hospice mission.
Ability to work effectively within a team and coordinate and foster multidisciplinary care.
Ability to deal with a variety of variables and interpret various instructions.
Ability to perform basic math, use decimals to compute ratios and percentages, and draw and interpret graphs.
Ability to read books, journals, magazines, instruction manuals, regulations, interpretive guidelines, and instructions.
Ability to prepare memos, reports, and essays using proper punctuation, spelling, and grammar.
Ability to communicate distinctly with appropriate pauses, emphasis, and pronunciation, using present, perfect, and future tenses.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree preferred.
Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN) certification preferred.
Related experience may include hospice and palliative care, family medicine, internal medicine, geriatrics, oncology, home health care, or medical-surgical care.

Responsibilities

Review available medical records for new Palliative Medicine referrals.
Manage high- and medium-acuity patient contacts according to acuity scale recommendations, as well as low-acuity patients in long-term care communities.
Document visits, contacts, and communications in electronic medical records.
Serve as the point of contact for palliative medicine patients, families, healthcare providers, and long-term care communities.
Facilitate seamless transitions to hospice for referral sources, patients, and families.
Collaborate with the nurse practitioner to schedule visits in all settings.
Educate patients and families about disease processes, symptom management, and advance care directives; LPN Liaisons provide teaching as directed by an NP or RN.
Collaborate with the NP to monitor the effectiveness of interventions related to palliative care needs.
For LPN Liaisons, collect and report a focused appraisal of the patient’s health status.
Use electronic medical records and standard office software to manage patient data and communication with staff and healthcare providers.
Collaborate with other palliative medicine team members to balance referrals and patient census.
Coordinate with the Strategic Account Manager to educate long-term care staff, referral sources, and families about hospice and palliative medicine, disease processes, and advance care directives.
Provide impromptu palliative care education to community staff when opportunities arise.
Collaborate with VIA administrative staff, Referral Center staff, and community staff to maintain a seamless referral process.
Maintain collaborative relationships with VIA and key community staff to promote business development.
Assist with service recovery when community expectations are not met.
Keep the Strategic Account Manager and AVP informed of changes in communities.
Participate in VIA-sponsored community appreciation functions when possible.
Assist in developing policies and procedures using clinical expertise.
Educate VIA staff on palliative medicine topics.
Perform other duties as required.