Registered Nurse

Gentiva Hospice • Tucson, AZ

6d

About The Position

The Registered Nurse provides personalized hospice and palliative nursing care to patients with life-limiting illness and supports their families and caregivers. The RN is the primary point of contact throughout the hospice journey, delivering skilled hands-on care in patients’ homes, assisted living facilities, or other institutional settings. The role includes assessing patients, managing symptoms, developing and updating individualized plans of care, educating caregivers, and coordinating services with an interdisciplinary team. The nurse also provides emotional, physical, and spiritual support and helps families understand hospice services, medications, symptom management, and end-of-life processes.

The RN maintains timely, accurate clinical documentation and follows applicable infection-control, regulatory, and organizational standards. The role may include on-call and patient-support activities, participation in quality improvement and scheduling initiatives, and supporting continuity of care and transitions between home health, palliative, and hospice services. Work takes place in patients’ homes or institutional settings and involves use of a personal vehicle for work-related transportation.

Requirements

• 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 and 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, and program-management knowledge.
• Knowledge of managed-care principles and regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
• Ability to support people facing end-of-life issues and to communicate effectively with people from varied socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Flexibility to perform varied tasks while maintaining efficiency and composure; maturity, cooperation, tact, and effective working relationships with coworkers and hospice team members.
• Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, facsimile equipment, copier, and cell phone or beeper.

Nice To Haves

• Hospice or palliative care experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Perform comprehensive patient assessments and reassessments, including in-person and telephonic assessments or screenings.
• Deliver skilled nursing interventions and symptom management in accordance with patient goals of care and individualized plans.
• Develop and update individualized plans of care, including visit frequency and identification of patient 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, referrals, and transitions among home health, palliative care, and hospice services as appropriate.
• Document screening and assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, care plans, and other clinical records accurately and promptly.
• Maintain effective working relationships with the interdisciplinary group and involve the team when the patient’s care plan warrants collaboration.
• Participate in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable, providing clinically competent and responsive service.
• Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and loved ones, including education, comfort, and bereavement guidance.
• Teach caregivers practical skills for safely caring for their loved ones and provide emotional reassurance.
• Follow infection-control, regulatory, compliance, and organizational policy standards.
• Support organizational 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 full-time associates
• Mileage reimbursement or fleet vehicle program for full-time associates
• Generous 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 for 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