RN - WE 72

Covenant Health•Knoxville, TN

About The Position

Provides professional nursing care to an assigned group of terminally ill patients and coordinates care planning with the interdisciplinary team to support the best possible outcomes throughout patients’ remaining lives. The schedule consists primarily of Saturday and Sunday, with one consecutive workday on either Friday or Monday. The position reports to the assigned Hospice Clinical Supervisor and requires travel to all counties served by Covenant Hospice. Covenant Health HomeCare and Hospice is the area’s largest locally owned home health and hospice provider and is part of Covenant Health, East Tennessee’s largest nonprofit health system. The organization includes nine hospitals and nearly 150 service locations.

Requirements

Graduation from an accredited school of nursing.
Three years of professional experience in a hospital or prior home health experience.
Tennessee RN licensure, which must be maintained.
CPR certification.
Valid Tennessee Class D driver’s license and state-mandated minimum insurance coverage.
Driving record must meet Covenant Health minimum standards at hire and throughout employment.
Ability to travel to all counties served by Covenant Hospice.

Nice To Haves

Clinical experience pertinent to hospice, including oncology, palliative care, or end-of-life care.

Responsibilities

Assess the impact of terminal illness on patients’ physical, functional, psychosocial, and environmental needs and activities of daily living, both initially and on an ongoing basis.
Facilitate a palliative environment in the home that supports a smooth transition at the time of death, considering pathological grief risk, cultural and spiritual implications, and verbal and non-verbal communication patterns.
Implement individualized plans of care and recommend revisions as necessary, focusing on symptom management, comfort, and reducing pain and suffering at end of life.
Use specialized nursing skills related to palliative and end-of-life care.
Consult with and educate patients and families about the terminal diagnosis and disease process, self-care techniques, end-of-life care, and processes for addressing ethical concerns.
Initiate preventive and rehabilitative nursing procedures, including pressure ulcer, pain crisis, and bowel impaction prevention, and care of bed-confined patients.
Prepare clinical and nursing notes reflecting the progression of the disease process at end of life.
Coordinate patient and family services and prioritize needs with the interdisciplinary team through daily communication as needed and/or bi-weekly IDG meetings.
Use a case management approach and refer patients to other services as needed.
Act as liaison between the provider and the patient or family; communicate with the provider, process and communicate received orders, and inform the provider and other staff of changes in patient needs.
Determine the scope and frequency of services based on acuity and patient and family needs; update the plan of care, adjust visit calendars, and develop and oversee individualized HHA plans of care.
Supervise LPNs and Hospice/Home Health Aides providing services and assist with orienting new employees.
Provide specialized hospice training to staff, family members, and informal caregivers.
Evaluate patient and family responses to education and care on an ongoing basis.
Assess caregivers’ ability to meet patients’ immediate needs at admission and throughout care, and advocate for respite care as needed.
Apply working knowledge of Medicare guidelines and comply with them.
Follow Covenant HomeCare policies for admission, discharge, on-call, and death procedures.
Follow infection-control procedures, including bag technique, handwashing, glove use, appropriate handling and disposal of waste, body fluids, contaminated trash and needles, handling soiled linens or garments, and cleaning equipment used in the home.
Plan visits appropriately, including coordinating arrival times with patients and caregivers.
Meet age-specific, culture-specific, and religion-specific needs of the population served.
Demonstrate required skills during the annual skills checklist.
Follow policies, procedures, and safety standards; complete annual education assignments; work toward goals and objectives; and participate in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
Perform other duties as assigned.