RN I - IPU Per Diem

Hospice of the East Bay • Alamo, CA

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

Hospice East Bay (HEB) is a community-based program providing home care for terminally ill patients. Care is delivered by an interdisciplinary group, with bereavement support offered for one year after a patient's death. Services are provided regardless of a patient's ability to pay, making the agency reliant on donations and insurance billing. The Registered Nurse (RN) provides direct nursing care and coordinates assistance for patients and families at the Bruns House, an inpatient unit (IPU). The IPU RN functions as the Team Leader for the IPU, assigning and coordinating care with LVNs, hospice aides, and administrative support staff. The IPU RN Float reports to the Director of Bruns House and also performs outpatient admissions and revisits in the home program.

Requirements

• Current California Registered Nurse License required.
• A minimum of one year of experience working as a professional nurse in an acute clinical setting required.
• CPR certification required.
• Must have current California Driver’s License and a car in good working condition.
• Must be able to perform a complete nursing physical assessment, develop a comprehensive care plan and respond to the needs of patients and families in the Bruns House and outpatient setting (home, Skilled Nursing Facility, Residential Care Facility for the Elderly).
• Must be able to cope with patient/family emotional stress and be tolerant of individual lifestyles without judgment.
• Must have ability to establish professional boundaries and maintain cooperative relationships with professionals.
• Must demonstrate excellent interpersonal communication skills, customer service skills, initiative, dependability, and good judgment.
• Must be able to work collaboratively as part of an interdisciplinary team, as well as independently, and problem solve in a crisis situation.
• Must take (and pass with 85% or more) a medication calculation competency exam annually.
• Demonstrates clinical competency as observed during supervisory visit.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience in hospice and/or home care preferred.
• Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse Certification highly desirable.
• IV knowledge and expertise desirable.

Responsibilities

• Assessing all aspects of the patient’s pain and developing an individualized pain management plan.
• Anticipating, preventing, and treating undesirable symptoms or secondary symptoms.
• Identifying and addressing comfort care needs.
• Supporting, instructing, and educating the patient, family, and caregiver.
• Documenting problems, nursing assessments, appropriate goals, care provided, care interventions, and patient and family outcomes achieved.
• Coordinating all patient and family services and community resources as needed.
• Maintaining the dignity, confidentiality, and privacy of the dying patient.
• Supporting the patient’s unique spiritual and cultural beliefs.
• Providing holistic, family-centered care across treatment settings to improve the quality of life.
• Consulting and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team and others involved in the patient’s care.
• Coordinating and managing patient care with awareness of insurance benefits, necessary authorizations, and cost containment.
• Attending and presenting appropriate patient-related information at Interdisciplinary Team Meetings, focusing on open care plan problems.
• Updating the comprehensive assessment and patient’s progress towards desired outcomes daily.
• Reassessing patient’s response to care.
• Completing patient-related documentation within an 8-hour shift.
• Adhering to and complying with state and federal regulations, as well as accreditation standards.
• Providing patient and primary caregiver education/training, as appropriate, for care and services identified in the plan of care.
• Determining eligibility for hospice services based on clinical criteria and LCD guidelines for home patients.
• Explaining hospice philosophy, services, and benefits to patients and families during admissions.
• Completing all required admission paperwork accurately and efficiently.
• Obtaining necessary consents and authorizations.
• Coordinating with physicians, referral sources, and other healthcare providers to facilitate the admission process.
• Ensuring the care plan addresses the patient's and family’s goals, preferences, and needs.
• Communicating with Director Bruns House or IDT Clinical Manager regarding patient acuity, scheduling, workload, and difficult situations.
• Completing necessary records, reports, and documentation in a timely manner according to agency requirements.
• Following the agency’s process for effective “hand off” communication.
• Participating in educating new staff members as assigned.
• Supervising performance of Home Health Aide and LVN.
• Overseeing Volunteers in the IPU.
• Attending appropriate meetings and in-services held for Hospice of the East Bay staff.
• Participating, as requested, in QAPI activities.
• Initiating and ongoing monitoring of medication reconciliation processes according to Medicare and accreditation standards.
• Responding to email and voice mail communications in a timely manner.

Benefits

• Mileage Reimbursement at the current IRS rate (when working in the home program)
• 10% per diem differential every time you work
• 403(b) Retirement Account with a generous company match
• Employee Discounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Work with passionate team members that have the same commitment to our organization as you.
• Variable Shifts, days, PM's, nights

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Mid Level