Registered Nurse (RN)-Hospice Inpatient, PT, Days

Prisma Health•Simpsonville, SC

About The Position

The Registered Nurse provides hospice and palliative care to terminally ill patients of any age and supportive care to their families in the Hospice House. The nurse uses the nursing process, follows organizational policies and compliance requirements, stays current with licensure and assigned training, and provides care within the scope of the South Carolina Nursing Practice Act. The role requires knowledge of regulatory agency requirements, including The Joint Commission and DHEC. The nurse assesses patients’ physical, psychosocial, developmental, and environmental needs, as well as family needs for support. The nurse contributes to individualized plans of care, performs and documents nursing interventions, communicates changes in condition to physicians, and coordinates care with hospice team members and outside agencies. The position also supports families through bereavement, assists with education and orientation, and completes admission, evaluation, discharge, and end-of-life care activities.

Requirements

Associate degree in Nursing.
Current RN compact/multistate license recognized by the NCSBN Compact State, or a license to practice as an RN in the state where the team member works.
Provide care within the scope of the South Carolina Nursing Practice Act.
No experience is required.

Nice To Haves

Two years of acute care nursing experience preferred.
Experience in hospice or other home care services preferred.
BSN preferred.

Responsibilities

Assess patients’ physiological, psychosocial, developmental, and environmental needs, along with families’ supportive-care needs, including physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects.
Assess pain and other symptoms, provide assessment information to physicians, contribute to the interdisciplinary plan of care, and document assessments in the medical record.
Develop individualized nursing and CNA plans of care with input from patients and families, and monitor and update plans as needs or patient status change.
Educate patients and families, monitor their need for additional services, and refer them to other hospice team members as appropriate.
Develop a plan of care for the time of death that reflects the expressed wishes of the patient and family.
Perform appropriate nursing interventions and document them thoroughly and promptly, using standing orders and medical authorization guidelines.
Report assessment findings and changes in patient condition to physicians and make recommendations.
Recognize the family’s decision-making role and the patient’s right to self-determination.
Oversee CNAs’ performance of the plan of care.
Evaluate intervention effectiveness and progress toward goals, including patient and family responses, disease progression, outcomes, teaching, caregiver coping, and cultural or developmental needs.
Support families during bereavement through follow-up, support of the bereavement plan of care, participation in funeral or memorial events when possible, and scheduled bereavement program activities.
Facilitate continuity of care through timely information exchange and regular communication with staff, volunteers, physicians, and other team members; attend and participate in team meetings and related activities.
Communicate with pharmacies, durable medical equipment vendors, material management, and insurance companies to help control agency costs.
Document clinical findings, interventions, physician orders, plan-of-care changes, telephone calls, team conferences, and referrals.
Initiate the plan of care at the time of death, notify appropriate persons and agencies, and complete discharge paperwork.
Perform admission and evaluation visits and provide consultative services as requested.
Work on projects and committees as requested.
Educate the public about end-of-life issues.
Assist with orientation and training of students, new employees, and volunteers.
Perform other duties as assigned.