Specialty Clinician

Functions & Responsibilities:
• Reviews specialty referrals for appropriateness of POC/consults with staff as necessary to achieve adherence to standards.
• Utilizes the nursing process to assess health and learning needs of patients and/or caregivers, develops, implements and revises Plan of Care.
• Provides direct nursing care demonstrating level of knowledge for sound practice.
• Maintains detailed, accurate, timely documentation that reflects quality care and supports reimbursement.
• Evaluates the patients/caregivers responses to interventions in order to progress towards goals/outcomes and to revise the Plan of Care appropriately.
• Uses independent, professional judgment to determine when collaboration with internal and external resources will affect more efficient and effective patient care.
• Directs, instructs, demonstrates and supervises care given to the patients by HCA’s, LPN’s and other clinicians as appropriate using independent, professional judgment to determine the skill levels required for the patient care involved.
• Directs, instructs, demonstrates and supervises care given to the patients by caregiver.
• Participates in the hiring, evaluation and termination of HCA’s, LPN’s and other clinicians as appropriate.
• Facilitates and ensures the implementation of standards of care and guidelines for the management of the specialty patient.
• Attends educational programs and in-services to meet Agency service needs and to develop professional growth.
• Meets Agency standards for quality, productivity and cost-effectiveness.
• Maintains current knowledge for insurance coverage including Medicare and Medicaid regulations and third-party payers and informs patient of coverage and communicates Plan of Care to insurance provider to obtain authorization.
• Functions as a staff resource.
• Participates in team meetings, individual conferences and on planning committees.
• Participates in specialty meetings.
• Provides specialty field consultation/supervision to nursing staff to enhance their skills in assessment.
• Serves as a peer educator by providing formal and informal in-service to staff.
• Keeps abreast of new advances in specialty nursing and disseminates this knowledge as applicable.
• Collaborates with members of the specialty team in updates to patient outcomes/teaching materials appropriate to literacy levels, styles of learning, cultural diversity.
• Proposes and assist with research within the VNA as appropriate.
• Participates with APN and Clinical Services Manager in a written performance appraisal within 6 months, 12 months, and yearly thereafter.
• Carries out plan for self-development using APN and Clinical Services Manager appropriately as a resource for on-going professional growth and development.
• Consultant to other agencies/nursing homes as necessary.
• Upholds the compliance objectives and policies and procedures of the Foundation and Subsidiaries.
• Participates in the orientation of new staff and students.
• Performs other related duties of a similar nature and complexity as directed.

Skills and Knowledge:
Education
• BSN or BS required for all specialty clinicians.
• Licensed to practice in Massachusetts.
• CDE required for diabetes; completion of accredited wound/ostomy certification program from WOCNCB (CWOCN or CWON) or WCEI (both WCC & OMS),required for wound/ostomy; certification required for oncology; and certification preferred for cardio-pulmonary.
Experience
• Minimum 3 years of current, progressive experience in specialty required.
• Home-care experience preferred.