RN III - Per Diem - Home Program

Hospice of the East Bay•Pleasant Hill, CA

21d•Onsite

About The Position

Hospice of the East Bay is a community-based hospice and palliative care program serving terminally ill patients and people needing palliative care in their homes and at its six-bed hospice facility. Care is provided to patients and families by an interdisciplinary group, with bereavement care available to families for at least one year after a patient’s death. The program offers sponsored care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. Under the direction of the attending physician and Medical Director, or a Hospice Physician or Nurse Practitioner, and in collaboration with the interdisciplinary group, the Registered Nurse provides direct nursing care and coordinates related assistance for patients and families. Per diem RNs report to the Team Manager, make home visits, identify care needs, and coordinate patient and family services. Assignments may involve more than one program or department, based on patient needs. Coverage areas include Vallejo, Hercules, Richmond, Oakland, Castro Valley, Walnut Creek, Pleasanton, Antioch, Brentwood, and surrounding cities. The role includes assessing and managing symptoms, supporting and educating patients and caregivers, coordinating care, documenting and updating assessments, collaborating with the interdisciplinary team, and complying with applicable regulations and agency standards. The RN also performs case-management duties, including communication with the Team Manager, medication reconciliation, handoff communication, supervision of Home Health Aides, and participation in staff education and quality activities. This per diem position requires availability for six shifts per month, including two weekend shifts. The stated schedule is 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Requirements

Current California Registered Nurse license.
At least one year of experience working as a professional nurse in an acute clinical setting.
Current CPR certification.
Current California driver’s license and a car in good working condition.
Ability to perform a complete nursing physical assessment, develop a comprehensive care plan, and respond to patient and family needs in home settings, including SNF and RCFE/Board & Care.
Ability to cope with patient and family emotional stress and respect individual lifestyles without judgment.
Ability to establish professional boundaries and maintain cooperative relationships with professionals.
Excellent interpersonal communication and customer service skills, initiative, dependability, and good judgment.
Ability to work collaboratively as part of an interdisciplinary team and independently, and to problem-solve in crisis situations.
Pass an annual medication-calculation competency exam with a score of at least 85%.
Demonstrate clinical competency during a supervisory visit.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Make home visits and identify and coordinate patient and family care needs.
Assess all aspects of patient pain and develop individualized pain-management plans.
Anticipate, prevent, and treat undesirable symptoms or secondary symptoms.
Identify and address comfort-care needs.
Support, instruct, and educate patients, families, and caregivers.
Coordinate patient and family services and community resources as needed.
Document problems, nursing assessments, goals, care provided, interventions, and patient and family outcomes.
Maintain the dignity, confidentiality, and privacy of dying patients and support their spiritual and cultural beliefs.
Provide holistic, family-centered care across treatment settings to improve quality of life.
Consult and collaborate with the interdisciplinary team and others involved in patient care.
Attend and present relevant patient information at interdisciplinary team meetings, focusing on open care-plan problems.
Update comprehensive assessments and patient progress toward desired outcomes at least every 15 days, and reassess responses to care.
Complete patient-related documentation within two hours of the shift worked.
Comply with state and federal regulations, accreditation standards, and agency-endorsed evidence-based practice standards.
Provide patient and primary caregiver education or training as appropriate to the plan of care.
Communicate with the Team Manager about patient acuity, scheduling, workload, and difficult situations.
Complete required records, reports, and documentation in a timely manner according to agency requirements.
Follow the agency’s process for effective handoff communication.
Participate in educating new staff members when assigned by the Team Manager.
Supervise Home Health Aide performance.
Attend appropriate staff in-services and participate in QAPI activities as requested.
Initiate and monitor medication reconciliation processes according to Medicare and accreditation standards.
Be available for six shifts per month, including two weekend shifts.