RN Triage Specialist – Hospice (On Call)

BEACON HOME HEALTH • Jackson, TN

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The RN Triage Specialist provides afterhours clinical support for Hospice patients through timely telephone assessments and evidence-based nursing guidance. This role ensures urgent patient needs are addressed promptly, appropriate interventions are initiated, and field staff or providers are engaged when necessary. The position requires strong assessment skills, sound decision making, and clear communication to support patients, families, and caregivers during nonbusiness hours.

Requirements

• Active, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license.
• Minimum of 2–3 years of recent clinical experience in hospice, home health, emergency, ICU, or acute care.
• Strong clinical assessment, critical thinking, and independent decision making skills.
• Excellent verbal communication skills, particularly in telephone based care.
• Proficiency with EMR documentation and ability to chart efficiently in real time.
• Ability to manage high call volume while maintaining clinical accuracy and compassion.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience in hospice triage.
• Strong knowledge of hospice symptom management and end of life care.
• Familiarity with structured triage protocols or triage software.

Responsibilities

• Answer afterhours calls promptly and conduct thorough telephone assessments to determine patient needs.
• Assess symptoms, pain levels, disease progression, medication concerns, and caregiver questions.
• Provide immediate nursing guidance, comfort measures, and symptom management using approved clinical protocols.
• Determine urgency and escalate care appropriately to on call field staff, physicians, or emergency services.
• Educate and guide families on end-of-life symptoms, comfort measures, positioning, and expected changes.
• Support caregivers experiencing emotional distress, anxiety, or grief with reassurance and clear education.
• Coordinate afterhours pronouncement procedures as required by agency policy and state regulations.
• Document all triage interactions clearly and accurately in the EMR in real time.
• Notify on call field staff and providers of urgent issues, new orders, or required interventions.
• Communicate significant patient changes to the interdisciplinary team for next day follow up.
• Ensure effective handoff to daytime clinical staff to support continuity of care.
• Assess and respond to emergent situations including uncontrolled symptoms, respiratory distress, falls, caregiver crisis, or medication errors.
• Provide calm de-escalation and emotional support during high stress situations.
• Activate emergency services when patient safety is at risk.

Benefits

• Opportunities to build trusted relationships and connections while providing care to patients.
• To be valued and respected by patients and their families.
• A sense of security, incredible team support, and flexibility for work-life balance.
• Leadership development opportunities – we value internal advancement in areas of interest to our employees

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level