Patient Care Supervisor - Hospice

Northeast Georgia Medical Center•Gainesville, GA

About The Position

The Patient Care Supervisor facilitates and assists with nursing care for hospice patients and families under the supervision of the Patient Care Manager. The role supports nurses and aides with day-to-day problem solving, coordinates communication among care providers, and serves as a liaison between frontline staff and patient care teams. The supervisor may provide nursing care when needed and serves as the first level of clinical administration when the Patient Care Manager is absent. The supervisor has shift accountability for care delivery, patient flow, staffing, and matching patient needs with available resources. This includes coordinating nursing staff and ensuring orders, treatments, care plans, and clinical pathways are followed consistently. The role provides expert patient care and administrative oversight, including staffing and scheduling, staff selection and retention, performance management, and coaching and counseling. It also facilitates and prepares Interdisciplinary Group activities, supports hospice eligibility determinations under Medicare and Medicaid requirements, and updates work standards and processes as regulatory guidance changes. The position supports clinical excellence, regulatory compliance, patient and family experience, team development, efficient resource use, and continuous performance improvement. It coordinates care across hospice settings and departments, supports intake and discharge planning, addresses complex care needs, and may serve as Administrator On-Call or provide clinical field backup when staffing is limited.

Requirements

Current licensure to practice as a Registered Nurse in Georgia.
National certification in a clinical or leadership specialty within two years of hire.
Associate degree and graduation from a state-approved professional school of nursing, or 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 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 staff, 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.
Computer and software application proficiency.
Strong organizational, detail-oriented, action-oriented, goal-oriented, and self-directed work skills.
Ability to handle stress and manage crisis situations effectively.
Ability to prioritize, coordinate, and direct multiple activities and interruptions while using time and resources effectively.
Ability to communicate professionally and effectively both orally and in writing, including explaining information and decisions.
Ability to collaborate professionally with internal and external customers, vendors, providers, physicians, and staff.
Ability to perform the job with a variety of professional and paraprofessional staff.

Nice To Haves

Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN) certification.
Charge nurse or supervisor experience.

Responsibilities

Coordinate nursing staff and maintain shift accountability for care delivery, patient flow, staffing, and matching patient needs with available resources.
Ensure orders, treatments, plans of care, and clinical pathways are carried out consistently.
Provide direct patient care as needed, including assessing, planning, and evaluating patients, and stay informed about the status of direct reports’ patients during the shift.
Assist staff nurses and aides with problem solving, clinical decision-making, patient acuity, and care assignments.
Coordinate communication and facilitate teamwork among care providers, patient care areas, patients, and families.
Triage complex care needs, support intake, and assist with discharge planning.
Facilitate and prepare Interdisciplinary Group (IDG) activities and meetings; communicate patient care needs and support hospice eligibility and appropriateness.
Proactively review clinical and psychosocial documentation for hospice eligibility and audit medical records for regulatory and accreditation compliance.
Assist with federal audit submissions and provide post-audit education to direct reports.
Update standards of work and processes in response to regulatory guideline changes.
Manage staffing and scheduling, unit staff selection and retention, work assignments, priorities, and subordinate employee work.
Coach, counsel, mentor, train, and evaluate staff; provide timely performance feedback and complete assigned formal employee evaluations.
Support new-hire orientation and ongoing staff education in collaboration with education supervisors and preceptors.
Assess staff competency and performance, address performance issues, and promote accountability and improvement following organizational procedures and best practices.
Lead performance-improvement initiatives and analyze errors to improve staff performance and care quality.
Assess staffing plans and assignments in view of patient acuity, labor standards, productivity targets, and resource utilization.
Monitor use of resources for patients, including durable medical equipment, pharmacy, medical supplies, and professional services.
Collaborate with hospice departments, directors, physicians, outside vendors, providers, and internal and external customers.
Maintain visibility and accessibility and make regular field visits with clinical staff to orient, support, and improve performance.
Attend and facilitate daily huddles and coordinate daily patient assignments.
Address patient and family needs promptly and proactively manage customer service concerns and crisis situations.
Serve as a clinical role model and resource, fostering teamwork and adapting nursing care to patients’ emotional needs and behavior.
Participate in special projects and serve as Administrator On-Call or participate in the on-call rotation as assigned.
Provide clinical field backup during periods of high staff shortage when other clinical staff are limited.