Registered Nurse

Gentiva Hospice • Carthage, MO

8d

About The Position

The Registered Nurse provides personalized hospice and palliative nursing care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and supports their families. The RN serves as a primary contact, delivers and documents skilled nursing care according to individualized plans of care, assesses patient conditions, coordinates with interdisciplinary teams, and offers practical, emotional, and spiritual support. Care may be delivered in patients’ homes, assisted living facilities, or other institutional settings.

The role includes educating patients and caregivers about hospice services, symptom and pain management, medication administration, disease processes, nutrition, and end-of-life care. The nurse communicates changes in condition to appropriate providers, helps coordinate referrals and transitions in levels of care, maintains compliant clinical records, and participates in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable. The position also supports quality improvement and scheduling initiatives and requires travel between care settings using maintained transportation.

Requirements

• Current license to practice nursing in the state of requested 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.
• Knowledge of terminally ill patients and their families and understanding of hospice care.
• Ability to apply knowledge of the special needs of hospice patients and families.
• Knowledge of the roles of disciplines providing hospice services and of community resources.
• Excellent patient assessment skills and knowledge of general nursing practice.
• Good oral and written communication skills and ability to communicate effectively with people from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Knowledge of documentation and program management, managed care principles, and applicable regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
• Sensitivity to end-of-life issues and ability to support patients and families during a crisis.
• Flexibility, maturity, cooperation, tact, and ability to shift among varied tasks without loss of efficiency or composure.
• Ability to maintain transportation for work and effectively use nursing assessment tools, computers, facsimile equipment, a copier, and a cell phone or beeper.
• Ability to perform the essential duties satisfactorily and meet applicable state-specific requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Hospice or palliative care experience.

Responsibilities

• Perform comprehensive patient assessments and reassessments, including in-person or telephone assessments and screenings.
• Deliver skilled nursing interventions and symptom management consistent with patient goals of care.
• 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, including appropriate home health, palliative care, and hospice referrals and transitions in 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 the care plan warrants collaboration.
• Participate in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable, providing clinically competent and responsive on-call services.
• Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and loved ones, including education, comfort, and bereavement guidance.
• Teach caregivers how to care for patients safely and confidently.
• Follow infection-control, regulatory, and organizational compliance standards.
• Support quality improvement and scheduling initiatives.
• Help patients and families understand medication administration, hospice philosophy and services, symptom and pain management, and end-of-life processes and expectations.

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, 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 benefits, including pet, critical illness, accident, and long-term care coverage, for full-time associates.

What This Job Offers

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