Registered Nurse

Heartland Hospice • Fort Wayne, IN

8h • Onsite

About The Position

The Registered Nurse provides personalized hospice and palliative care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and supports their families with dignity, comfort, and compassion. The RN serves as a primary point of contact, delivers and documents skilled nursing care according to individualized plans of care, assesses patient needs and condition, and coordinates care with an interdisciplinary team. Care may be delivered in patients’ homes, assisted living facilities, or other institutional settings. The role also includes educating and supporting patients, caregivers, and loved ones, and helping them understand hospice services, medications, symptom and pain management, and end-of-life processes.

The position requires clinical judgment, responsive communication, accurate documentation, and compliance with applicable clinical, regulatory, and organizational standards. The RN participates in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable and supports continuity of care, quality improvement, and scheduling initiatives.

Requirements

• Registered Nurse.
• 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.
• Knowledge of terminally ill patients and their families, hospice, hospice disciplines, community resources, general nursing practice, managed care principles, and regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
• Strong patient assessment skills and oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to document and manage programs and provide patient-centered care.
• Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, fax machines, copiers, and a cell phone or beeper.
• Must have and maintain transportation for work.
• Sensitivity and tact in dealing with terminally ill patients and their families, and ability to support others during a crisis.
• Flexibility, composure, effective communication across socioeconomic backgrounds, maturity, cooperation, and tact in working with coworkers and hospice team members.

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 patients’ goals of care.
• Develop and update individualized plans of care, including visit frequency and identification of patient needs and risks.
• Coordinate care with the interdisciplinary team, including physicians and nurse practitioners.
• Educate patients, family members, and caregivers about disease processes, self-care, end-of-life care, medications, nutrition, and dietary needs.
• Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and loved ones, including comfort and bereavement guidance.
• Teach caregivers safe and confident care techniques and provide practical and emotional support.
• Communicate changes in condition and signs or symptoms of decline to the appropriate provider.
• Support continuity of care by recognizing and supporting appropriate home health, palliative care, and hospice referrals and transitions between levels of care.
• Document clinical records promptly, 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.
• Participate in on-call and patient-support activities as applicable, providing clinically competent and responsive service.
• Follow infection-control, compliance, regulatory, and policy standards and 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 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
• Education support and tuition assistance, including ASN-to-BSN and BSN-to-MSN programs
• Free continuing education units
• Company-paid life and long-term disability insurance
• Voluntary pet, critical illness, accident, and long-term care benefits

What This Job Offers

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