Registered Nurse, RN

Gentiva Hospice • Branford, CT

17h • $47 - $51

About The Position

The Registered Nurse provides personalized hospice and palliative care to patients with life-limiting illness and supports their families with dignity, comfort, and compassion. The RN is a primary contact for patients and families and delivers skilled nursing care in patients’ homes, assisted-living settings, or other locations where they reside. The position assesses patient needs, develops and updates individualized care plans, manages symptoms, coordinates with an interdisciplinary team, and educates and supports patients, caregivers, and loved ones throughout the hospice journey.

The RN maintains accurate and timely clinical records, communicates changes in patient condition to appropriate providers, and follows regulatory, infection-control, and organizational standards. The role also supports continuity of care, quality improvement, scheduling initiatives, and on-call and patient-support activities as applicable. This is a safety-sensitive position. Work takes place in patients’ homes or institutional settings and in an automobile, with potential exposure to infections, communicable diseases, odors, blood, excreta, and hazardous materials.

Requirements

• Registered Nurse education and current license to practice nursing in the state of employment.
• 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 CPR certification.
• Current automobile insurance and a valid driver’s license.
• Must have and maintain transportation for work.
• Knowledge of terminally ill patients and their families, hospice, hospice team disciplines, community resources, general nursing practice, managed-care principles, and applicable regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
• Excellent patient assessment skills and oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to document and manage programs effectively and operate nursing assessment tools, computers, facsimile equipment, copier, and cell phone or beeper.
• Sensitivity to end-of-life issues; tact and ability to support patients and families during crises.
• Flexibility to perform varied tasks while maintaining efficiency and composure, communicate with people of all socioeconomic backgrounds, and work cooperatively and maturely with coworkers and hospice team members.

Nice To Haves

• Hospice or palliative care experience.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary point of contact for patients and families throughout the hospice journey.
• Perform comprehensive initial and ongoing patient assessments and reassessments, including in-person or telephone assessments and screenings.
• Deliver and document skilled nursing interventions and symptom management in alignment with each patient’s individualized plan of care and goals of care.
• Develop and update individualized care plans, including visit frequency, to meet patient needs and identify risks.
• Coordinate care with interdisciplinary team members, including physicians, nurse practitioners, LPNs, CNAs, social workers, and chaplains.
• Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and loved ones, including education, comfort, and bereavement guidance.
• Educate patients, families, and caregivers about disease processes, self-care, end-of-life care, medications, nutrition, dietary needs, hospice services, symptom management, and end-of-life expectations.
• Teach caregivers how to care safely and confidently for their loved ones.
• Communicate changes in condition and signs or symptoms of decline to appropriate providers and the care team.
• Support continuity of care by recognizing and supporting appropriate home health, palliative, and hospice referrals and transitions in levels of care.
• Maintain timely and accurate clinical documentation, including assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, and care plans.
• Maintain effective working relationships with the interdisciplinary group and involve the team when the care plan warrants participation.
• Follow infection-control requirements, regulatory guidelines, and organizational policies and compliance standards.
• Support quality improvement and scheduling initiatives.
• Participate in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable, providing clinically competent and responsive service.

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 full-time associates.
• Mileage reimbursement or fleet vehicle program for full-time associates.
• Paid time off and seven paid holidays for full-time associates.
• Wellness programs, including telemedicine, diabetes management, and joint and spine concierge care, for full-time associates.
• Education support and tuition assistance, including ASN-to-BSN and BSN-to-MSN programs, for full-time associates.
• Free continuing education units for full-time associates.
• Company-paid life and long-term disability insurance for full-time associates.
• Voluntary pet, critical illness, accident, and long-term care benefits for full-time associates.

What This Job Offers

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