RN Case Manager- Visiting Hospice Nurse

Karen Ann Quinlan Memorial Foundation•Warren County, NJ

1d•Onsite

About The Position

This role involves providing comprehensive hospice care to patients in their homes. The RN Case Manager will explain patient rights and advanced directives, coordinate care, and assess patients' physical and psychosocial needs. They will follow established care plans, collaborate with the interdisciplinary team (IDT), and provide instruction and supervision to hospice aides and LPNs. The position also includes assisting patients with obtaining necessary medical equipment and supplies, administering medications, providing direct patient care, and offering support to primary caregivers. Accurate and timely documentation is crucial, as is maintaining a caseload within agency standards. The role requires communication with supervisors and team members to ensure continuity of care and participation in the on-call rotation. The nurse must consider the patient's physiological and developmental age in care planning and adhere to infection control practices and patient confidentiality. Participation in in-service education and meetings is mandatory, as is compliance with the dress code.

Requirements

Strong nursing assessment and documentation skills.
Clinical knowledge to support the dying process.
Ability to serve as a resource to patients and families during times of high stress and volatility.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
Ability to comprehend the spoken and written English language, to communicate with clarity both verbally and in writing.
Well organized to manage patient/family needs, provide clinical and oversight of the inpatient Hospice operation.
Proficiency in operating a computer; including a working knowledge of Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, and Outlook) and an electronic medical record.
Diploma, Associate or Bachelor of Science in Nursing; BSN preferred.
Licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of New Jersey; licensure in Pennsylvania if practicing in PA.
Minimum one-year adult, pediatric or medical/surgical clinical experience.

Nice To Haves

CPR certification preferred.
Prior home care or hospice experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Explains, and interprets and coordinates patients' rights and advanced directives; explains Medicare Hospice Benefit when indicated.
Performs ongoing physical and psychosocial assessment of Hospice patients.
Follows established plan of care for each patient and reports observations to team leader or primary nurse.
Collaborates with IDT with regards to new nursing diagnoses and need for changes in plan of care.
Instructs and supervises the activities of hospice aides/LPN staff.
Assists patient/family in obtaining durable medical equipment and supplies essential to care.
Observes and records signs and symptoms of disease process.
Communicates with the physician, the family and other health team personnel, and others to report changes in the patient's physical and/or emotional condition and identify patient needs.
Performs patient/family teaching; utilizes teaching tools and handouts; documents all teaching and patient response.
Facilitates and supports patient and family self-direction and independence.
Prepares and administers medications according to policy and documents same.
Provide support and relief for the primary care person while participating in Hospice 'at-home respite@ program and provide direct care to the patient.
Completes chart documentation within 48 hours.
Documents vital signs, measurements, nursing interventions, treatments and patient responses; completes flow sheets, narratives, and verbal orders, as per agency policy.
Maintains a caseload with productivity in compliance with agency standards.
Communicates with the Nursing Supervisor and other health team members in the planning, implementing, evaluating and coordinating of services to the patient and family in order to insure completeness and continuity of services.
Rotates through the on-call system as scheduled for scheduled revisits.
Incorporates the physiological and developmental age of patients into the overall plan for the delivery of patient care.
Maintains appropriate infection control practices.
Holds in strictest confidence all patient information and discloses information and data only to persons authorized by patient/family/representative or Hospice personnel.
Participates in all required in service education programs and meetings.
Participates in 9 out of 12 nursing meetings annually.
Demonstrates compliance with the dress code policy by appearing well groomed, wearing ID badge while on duty and maintaining a professional appearance.
Performs other duties as assigned.