Registered Nurse

Gentiva Hospice • Bakersfield, CA

5d

About The Position

Gentiva Hospice is seeking a Registered Nurse to provide personalized hospice and palliative nursing care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and support their families. The RN serves as a primary contact for patients and families, delivering skilled nursing care in patients’ homes, assisted living facilities, or other settings where they live. The position includes assessing patient needs, managing symptoms, developing and updating individualized plans of care, and coordinating services with an interdisciplinary team.

The RN provides education and emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients, caregivers, and loved ones, including guidance on medications, hospice services, symptom and pain management, and end-of-life care. The role also requires timely clinical documentation, compliance with infection-control and regulatory standards, participation in quality and scheduling initiatives, and on-call patient support as applicable.

Work takes place in patients’ homes and/or institutional settings, as well as in an automobile. The position may involve exposure to infections, communicable diseases, odors, blood, excreta, and hazardous materials. The employee must maintain transportation for work and be able to use nursing assessment tools, computers, fax and copier equipment, and a cell phone or beeper.

Requirements

• Registered Nurse education or qualification.
• At least one year of RN experience in acute-care hospital, oncology, long-term care, hospice, or home health; school internships and clinical hours may be considered in individual cases.
• Current license to practice nursing in the state of requested employment.
• CPR certification.
• Current automobile insurance and a valid driver’s license.
• Maintain transportation for work.
• Knowledge of terminally ill patients and their families and an understanding of hospice and the special needs of hospice patients and families.
• Knowledge of the roles of disciplines providing hospice services and of community resources.
• Strong patient-assessment skills and knowledge of general nursing practice.
• Good oral and written communication skills, documentation skills, and program-management skills.
• Knowledge of managed-care principles and regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
• Sensitivity to life-and-death issues affecting people with terminal illnesses and tact in working with patients and families.
• Ability to support people during a crisis, adapt to varied tasks without loss of efficiency or composure, and communicate effectively with people from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Maturity, cooperation, flexibility, and tact when working with coworkers and hospice-team members.
• Ability to effectively operate nursing assessment tools, computers, fax equipment, copier, and cell phone or beeper.
• Ability to work in patients’ homes and/or institutional settings and in an automobile, with potential exposure to infections, communicable diseases, odors, blood, excreta, and hazardous materials.

Nice To Haves

• Hospice or palliative care experience.

Responsibilities

• Perform comprehensive initial and ongoing patient assessments and reassessments, including in-person or telephonic RN assessments and screenings.
• Deliver skilled nursing interventions and symptom management aligned with each patient’s goals of care.
• Develop and update individualized plans of care, including visit frequency and identified risks.
• Coordinate care with interdisciplinary team members and consult with physicians and nurse practitioners.
• Educate patients, families, and caregivers about disease processes, self-care, end-of-life care, medications, nutrition, and dietary needs.
• Communicate changes in condition and signs or symptoms of decline to the appropriate provider.
• Support continuity of care, including appropriate referrals and transitions among home health, palliative, hospice, and other levels of care.
• Maintain timely and accurate clinical records, including assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, and care plans.
• Maintain effective working relationships with the interdisciplinary group and involve the team when needed to achieve desired outcomes.
• Participate in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable, responding in a clinically competent and timely manner.
• Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and their loved ones, including bereavement guidance.
• Teach caregivers how to provide safe and confident care for their loved ones.
• Follow infection-control, compliance, regulatory, and organizational standards.
• Support quality-improvement and scheduling initiatives.

Benefits

• Competitive pay.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Career advancement opportunities.
• National and local recognition programs.
• Teammate Assistance Fund.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for eligible full-time associates.
• Mileage reimbursement or fleet vehicle program for eligible full-time associates.
• Generous paid time off and seven paid holidays for eligible full-time associates.
• Wellness programs, including telemedicine, diabetes management, and joint and spine concierge care, for eligible full-time associates.
• Education support and tuition assistance, including ASN-to-BSN and BSN-to-MSN support, for eligible full-time associates.
• Free continuing education units for eligible full-time associates.
• Company-paid life and long-term disability insurance for eligible full-time associates.
• Voluntary pet, critical illness, accident, and long-term-care benefits for eligible full-time associates.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed