RN HOSPICE HOUSE PRN DAYS

Columbus Hospice Inc•Columbus, GA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

This position involves providing individualized nursing care in accordance with Hospice philosophies and standards. The role includes educating patients and families, conducting ongoing assessments for symptom management, and accurately administering medications. The nurse is responsible for maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality. The position also involves supervisory responsibilities for CNAs and potentially other staff if assigned as Charge Nurse. Challenges include irregular shifts, on-site meal breaks, weekend and holiday work, and flexible scheduling. The role requires being on one's feet for many hours, rapidly moving, evaluating situations, prioritizing, and coordinating patient care. It also involves handling high anxiety and emotions of patients and families dealing with grief, death, and dying.

Requirements

Associate's degree from two-year college or technical school, and one-year experience or training.
Influenza vaccine during influenza season (Nov. – March)
Valid Georgia Registered Nurse License or multi-state compact license
CPR Certification
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret the most complex documents.
Ability to respond effectively to the most sensitive inquiries or complaints.
Ability to make effective and persuasive speeches and presentations on controversial or complex topics to professional students, medical students, employees, families and patients, and external customers.
Professionalism and mutual respect for all.
Ability to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

Nice To Haves

BSN or MSN (additional 3% added to base rate)
Hospice certification (additional pay)
Valid Driver’s License
Car Insurance per Columbus Hospice policy
Hospice and Palliative Care RN certification

Responsibilities

Provide individualized nursing care in accordance with Hospice philosophies and standards.
Provide education to patients and families.
Conduct ongoing assessments throughout shift to effectively provide symptom management.
Accurately administer medications.
Supervise and direct patient care activities to the CNAs, ensuring all assigned duties are completed.
If assigned as Charge Nurse, directly supervise nurses and CNAs in patient care.
Initiate disciplinary actions pending review from Nurse Manager if immediate personnel action is required (as Charge Nurse).
Maintain a patient caseload and provide services per plan of care.
Participate in hospice training as required, including 15 hours of CEUs/year and competency checks per policy.
Attend and/or participate in one Memorial Service per year.
Participate in performance improvement activities.
Participate in Joint Commission accreditation processes of Columbus Hospice and surveys by regulatory and other accrediting agencies.
Attend mandatory in-service education and staff meetings.
Take all reasonable precautions to maintain privacy and non-disclosure of any confidential information about patients, other staff members, and the general operations of Columbus Hospice.
Represent the company in a positive and professional manner at all times with others, e.g., co-workers, management, vendors, and customers.
Complete all job responsibilities in a thorough and complete manner, utilizing good judgment in all aspects of the job.
When unsure of a directed task or any part of job responsibilities, proactively seek the assistance of immediate supervisor.
Ensure job responsibilities are met, including attendance requirements and prompt arrival at work.
Assist with special projects, as requested.
All other job duties as may be assigned.
Assessment of patient and family needs, including physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs.
Accurate administration of medications; orders medications appropriately; counts controlled medications at shift change.
Develop a comprehensive nursing and team care plan in conference with the other members of the Interdisciplinary Team; updating the care plan weekly or more frequently if needed.
Seek optimal symptom and pain control for the patients through attentive and thorough examination and follow up.
Keep the attending physician apprised of patient’s status and request appropriate changes in care in accordance with established guidelines.
Coordinate with the Volunteer Coordinator in assigning, directing, and supporting volunteers.
Seek appropriate spiritual support for the patient/family through patient’s personal clergy or hospice chaplain.
Provide necessary on-going information, and teaching to the patient/family including hospice protocol, emergencies, and on-call procedures.
Solicit help from other members of the team as well as other agencies or organizations as appropriate.
Help patient/family to prepare for the death of the patient; maintain hope; encourage pre-planning.
Encourage family to actively participate in the patient’s care.
Explain the need to destroy drugs after death occurs.
Support the family and volunteers with closure through the death process.
Accurate and timely recording of all phases of the patient’s care to include re-certification and physician’s orders.
Participate in weekly IDTM meetings: to include documenting on IDTM sheets any changes or problems.
Supervise LPNs, CNAs; in absence of managers supervise Team Assistants, Housekeeping, and Dietary.
Participate in shift report for continuity of care; reporting pertinent changes and patient information to the oncoming shift.
Coordinate patient care by making staff assignments for RNs and CNAs (as Charge Nurse).
Available to direct, advise and support staff in patient care decisions related to the plan of care and hospice philosophy (as Charge Nurse).
Make rounds on all patients a minimum of two (2) times during the 12-hour shift (as Charge Nurse).
Communicate with staff throughout the shift for updates on special patient issues or concerns (as Charge Nurse).
In absence of Nurse Manager, coordinate admissions and discharges (as Charge Nurse).
Communicate with Administrator on Call regarding problems or concerns that occur on the weekend and cannot wait until the next business day (as Charge Nurse).
Assign CNA duties and ensures compliance (as Charge Nurse).
Effectively oversee staff productivity in absence of Nurse Manager (as Charge Nurse).
Assigns extra tasks such as cleaning/organizing medication room: cleaning kitchen cabinets/drawers; cleaning break room, reading education articles from the Education Notebook; etc. (as Charge Nurse).
Assure that staff follows the rules and policies of the hospice house (as Charge Nurse).
Coordinate coverage on unit to ensure that all staff receives a meal break (as Charge Nurse).
After-hours charge nurse is responsible for security of building: making sure all doors in hallways, kitchen and patient rooms are locked.
Direct fire drills and actual emergencies. Make sure that all staff knows what steps to take for patient safety.