Patient Care Supervisor - Hospice - FT

Northeast Georgia Health System•Gainesville, GA

About The Position

The Patient Care Supervisor facilitates and assists with all levels of nursing care for hospice patients and families under the supervision of the Patient Care Manager. The supervisor supports nurses and aides with day-to-day problem solving, coordinates communication among care team providers, and serves as a liaison between front-line staff and hospice patient care. When needed, the supervisor may assume nurse responsibilities and serves as the first level of clinical administration when the Patient Care Manager is absent. The role has shift accountability for care delivery, patient flow, resource matching, and escalation of unresolved problems and patient safety concerns. It coordinates nursing staff and unit operations to ensure orders, treatments, plans of care, and clinical pathways are carried out consistently, while providing expert patient care. Administrative duties include staffing and scheduling, staff selection and retention, performance management, coaching and counseling, and timely employee evaluations. The supervisor facilitates and prepares for Interdisciplinary Group (IDG) activities, helps ensure hospice appropriateness under Medicare and Medicaid requirements, and updates standards of work and processes as regulatory guidelines change. The role promotes clinical excellence, exceptional patient and family experiences, regulatory compliance, efficient resource use, staff development, and teamwork across hospice services. The position may include direct patient care, field visits, clinical backup during staffing shortages, and serving as Administrator On-Call as assigned or in a rotation. The schedule is listed as varying. Physical demands include occasionally lifting and carrying up to 60 pounds, frequent standing and walking, and occasional kneeling, stooping, bending, pushing, and pulling. The job requires reading, writing, reasoning, talking, keyboarding, and driving.

Requirements

Licensed to practice as a registered nurse in Georgia.
National certification in a clinical or leadership specialty required within two years of hire.
Associate degree; graduate of a state-approved professional school of nursing or hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing from an accredited college or university.
At least five years of experience in hospice, oncology, palliative care, and/or end-of-life care.
Strong clinical expertise, judgment, critical-thinking, and decision-making skills.
Ability to be flexible and adapt to rapidly changing situations.
Knowledge of state and federal hospice regulations and applicable accreditation standards.
Ability to analyze clinical care in relation to financial and regulatory requirements and accreditation standards, and to propose and implement compliance processes.
Supervisory skills, including hiring, training, assigning and reviewing work, motivating employees, preparing performance evaluations, and handling disciplinary actions.
Ability to tailor communication and performance feedback to individual employees.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, empathy, and ability to mentor, lead, and develop staff.
Proficiency with computers and software applications.
Strong organizational skills; detail-oriented, action- and goal-oriented, and self-directed.
Ability to read, write, reason, talk, keyboard, and drive.
Ability to occasionally lift and carry up to 60 pounds; frequent standing and walking; and occasional kneeling, stooping, bending, pushing, and pulling.

Nice To Haves

CHPN certification.
Charge nurse or supervisor experience.

Responsibilities

Facilitate and support nursing care for hospice patients and families, assisting staff with day-to-day problem solving and communication among care team providers.
Serve as liaison between front-line staff and patient care services; provide first-level clinical administration in the Patient Care Manager’s absence.
Maintain shift accountability for care delivery, patient flow, resource matching, and escalation of patient safety concerns or unresolved situations.
Coordinate nursing staff and unit operations to ensure orders, treatments, plans of care, and clinical pathways are consistently followed.
Provide direct patient care as needed, including assessing, planning, and evaluating patients, and remain informed about direct reports’ patients during the shift.
Audit direct reports’ medical records with compliance guidance, support federal audit submissions, and provide post-audit education.
Facilitate IDG preparation and activities, and support hospice eligibility and appropriateness under Medicare and Medicaid requirements and regulatory guidelines.
Revise and update standards of work and processes in response to regulatory changes.
Manage staffing and scheduling, staff selection and retention, coaching, counseling, performance management, and timely formal employee evaluations.
Triage complex care needs, assist with discharge planning, and facilitate coordination among patient care areas and other hospice departments.
Guide staff, assess performance and competency, provide feedback, and serve as a clinical role model and resource.
Oversee nursing care that reflects patients’ emotional needs and behaviors, and help staff make decisions based on patient acuity.
Anticipate patient and staffing needs, adjust assignments and care plans as needed, manage crises, and assess the effectiveness of staffing plans in relation to acuity and labor standards.
Lead performance improvement efforts, analyze errors, enforce accountability, and help staff improve performance in accordance with organizational procedures and best practices.
Support intake and clinical operations, prioritize and coordinate multiple tasks, and monitor use of patient-specific and departmental resources.
Serve as a liaison and resource to internal and external customers; coordinate with outside vendors and providers to support services and productivity standards.
Make regular field visits with clinical staff to orient, support, and improve performance; work with education supervisors or preceptors to support new-hire orientation and ongoing education.
Attend and facilitate daily huddles, direct training of professional and nonprofessional personnel, and promote teamwork and respectful interactions.
Participate in planning and distributing patient assignments, scheduling work assignments, setting priorities, and directing subordinate employees’ work.
Function as clinical field backup when clinical staff availability is limited due to high staff shortages.
Participate in special projects and serve as Administrator On-Call as assigned or in an on-call rotation.