LPN Phone Nurse, Full Time, 1 FTE

VISITING NURSE dba Stillwater Hospice•Fort Wayne, IN

3d•$64,280 - $82,921

About The Position

The Phone Nurse assists the primary RN case manager in coordinating patient care by receiving and making patient-related telephone calls. The role communicates patient needs and changes in care plans to physicians, patients and families, interdisciplinary team members, and other care providers. The nurse recognizes hospice and palliative care needs and emergencies, coordinates services with providers such as pharmacies, durable medical equipment suppliers, and infusion services, and documents findings in the agency’s electronic documentation system. The position may also provide direct nursing care, including assessment, admission or evaluation visits, pain and symptom management, patient and family teaching, referral, advocacy, and monitoring. The nurse may support admissions intake, provide clinical supervision or instruction to Home Health Aides/CNAs when assigned, and work independently in patient settings. The job serves patients across the Stillwater Hospice service area and requires travel to patient homes. The schedule is 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday, with weekend rotations; on-call coverage and assigned holiday, weekend, or evening visits may also be required. Stillwater Hospice provides compassionate medical, spiritual, and emotional support to seriously ill patients and their loved ones in Northeast Indiana.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited school of nursing.
Current LPN or RN license to practice in Indiana.
At least one year of hospital or home health care experience.
Able to provide services requiring substantial specialized nursing skill.
Current motor vehicle operator’s license and access to an automobile with current automobile insurance coverage.
Able to drive independently to patient and family clients’ homes.
Comfortable working with hospice patients, with an emphasis on palliative care.
Able to safely perform the essential job functions without posing a direct threat to personal or workplace safety.
Able to understand and initiate written and verbal communication and communicate clearly in verbal and non-verbal forms.
Able to climb at least three flights of stairs.
Able to remain calm in occasional emergencies, recognize emergencies, and follow agency emergency procedures.
Willing to travel between patients in inclement weather and accept assignments regardless of location, socioeconomic environment, disease, or ethnic group.
Proficient and timely in clinical documentation, including computer data entry.
Proficient in blood draws; routine patient treatments such as dressing changes and catheter care; pain and symptom management; patient and family care, including pediatric and HIV-positive patients; and Mantoux administration.
Proficient in case management and IV care, including programming IV pumps, tubing changes, site care, and subcutaneous access.
Demonstrates compassion, teamwork, optimism, adaptability, accountability, and a customer-driven approach.
Consistently use standard blood and body fluid precautions.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in nursing or a related field.
Infusion skills.

Responsibilities

Receive and respond to patient-related telephone calls.
Recognize the needs and emergencies of hospice and palliative care patients.
Evaluate patient-care outcomes and communicate changes in condition and needs to the attending physician and/or third-party reimbursement parties.
Communicate changes in patient care plans to the RN case manager, clinical team leader, and other appropriate interdisciplinary team members.
Coordinate care and services with other health care providers, including pharmacies, durable medical equipment providers, and infusion suppliers.
Anticipate problems related to a patient’s impending death and pursue resolution with the interdisciplinary team.
Document findings accurately and promptly in the agency’s electronic documentation system in accordance with agency policy.
Communicate medical supply needs to designated agency staff.
Recommend additional agency and community services when appropriate.
Maintain therapeutic relationships with patients and families and protect confidential information.
Implement agency policies, including clinical policies and procedures.
Back up the admissions department by assisting with intake and referral of new patients and entering referral information into the electronic documentation system.
Provide nursing care as needed, including initial assessment, evaluation or admission visits, pain and symptom management, teaching, direct care, referral, advocacy, and monitoring.
Function independently in patient settings when assigned and seek clinical supervision when necessary.
Work cooperatively with agency personnel.
Participate in agency committees, task forces, and quality improvement activities when requested.
Take responsibility for continued professional growth and development, pursue educational opportunities, and participate in in-service programs.
Supervise clinically the care delegated to Home Health Aides/CNAs and instruct them on specific patient care procedures when assigned.
Provide personal care when required.
Accept on-call coverage and scheduled visits on holidays, weekends, or evenings when assigned.

Benefits

Health insurance with a PPO option.
Dental and vision insurance.
Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
Free employer health clinic for medical plan participants.
Catastrophic Medical Care Plan, subject to qualifications.
Medical claims and healthcare utilization management program.
Wellbridge Surgical partnership, including reimbursement of medical plan deductibles and travel for medical plan participants.
Dependent Care Savings Account (DCFSA).
TriShare Plus Child Care Cost Sharing plan for qualifying employees.
CoShare Child Care Cost Sharing plan for qualifying employees.
Generous paid time off.
Paid wellness days.
Time off for voting.
Paid parental leave for births and adoptions.
403(b) retirement plan for all employees, with no-cost access to a financial advisor and a company match for full-time employees.
Shift incentive pay, performance incentives, and mileage reimbursement.
Company-provided uniform allowance.
Company-provided basic life insurance and AD&D insurance.
Company-provided short-term disability insurance.
Affordable term life insurance policies for employees and family members.
Education incentives and tuition discounts with local universities.
Private student loan assistance program with Gradify.
Support for the Federal Student Loan Forgiveness plan as a qualifying not-for-profit employer.
Annual employee tuition assistance of up to $2,000 per year.
Stillwater Hospice tuition scholarships of up to $5,000 per year.
Employee Assistance Program for employees and household family members.
New-hire referral Finder’s Bonus.
Free employee access to services and programs at the Peggy F. Murphy Community Grief Center.
Access to a newly remodeled, modern inpatient unit and a newly built staff respite room in the Hospice Home IPU.
Employee engagement events, including wellness and health events, quarterly employee benefit fairs, picnics, and holiday events.
Commitment to promoting and advancing employees from within the organization.
Campus connection to the Fort Wayne Trails system.
YMCA discounts.