RN Triage Specialist – Hospice & Home Health (On Call)
About The Position
The RN Triage Specialist provides afterhours clinical support for Hospice and Home Health patients through timely telephone assessments and evidence-based nursing guidance. The role ensures urgent patient needs are addressed promptly, appropriate interventions are initiated, and field staff or providers are engaged when necessary. It requires strong assessment skills, sound decision-making, and clear communication to support patients, families, and caregivers during nonbusiness hours. The specialist answers afterhours calls, assesses symptoms and concerns, provides nursing guidance and symptom management, and escalates care when needed. The role also supports hospice families and caregivers with end-of-life education, comfort measures, and emotional reassurance; assesses home health concerns and arranges urgent nursing visits where necessary; documents interactions in the EMR; coordinates with providers and care teams; and responds to crises involving patient safety.
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 or home health 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.
- Assess changes in medical condition, post-procedure complications, wound concerns, and medication reactions.
- Provide guidance on self-care, follow-up actions, and signs requiring urgent skilled intervention.
- Arrange urgent nursing visits when patient needs cannot be safely managed by phone.
- Document 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.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Education Level
No Education Listed
