Reports To:              Care Access Manager

 Status:                      Exempt - Salaried

FT, PT, PRN:              Full-Time 

Shift:                           40 hours; Monday - Friday 9:00am – 5:30pm

Location:                   Visits patients in hospital throughout the region of Henderson and surrounding counties

The Hospital Liaison RN acts as liaison between the contracted hospitals and the hospice team, makes inpatient visits to hospice patients in facilities, and provides in-service education to providers. Also responsible for carrying out the education component and sustaining business partnerships with referral sources in the community to support the mission of Four Seasons. Performs pre-admission evaluations for appropriateness for hospice services, initiates the admission process by educating and informing patient/family of hospice and its services.  This position assists with admission into the program and services that the patient is eligible for and develops a care plan in conjunction with patient goals, medical team, and Four Seasons’ policies. Also obtains informed consents. Provides nursing assessment, initial plan of care and intervention(s), which optimize patient and family directed comfort and quality of life, and coordinates discharge planning.

Additional duties include building professional relationships with local hospital discharge planners as well as community relations and census development activities.

Practices within the scope of license, certification or registration, where applicable, and as required by law and regulation (See Attached Components of Nursing Practice for the Registered Nurse)

• Serving as a Four Seasons Ambassador within the community.  As such, you will present professionally, have good problem-solving capabilities, have excellent interpersonal communication, and have excellent customer service skills.
• Assessing the patient's physical and mental health including the patient's reaction to illnesses and treatment regimens
• Recording and reporting the results of the nursing assessment
• Planning, initiating, delivering, and evaluating appropriate nursing acts
• Teaching, assigning, delegating to or supervising other personnel in implementing the treatment regimen
• Collaborating with other health care providers in determining the appropriate patient and family-centered plan of care for the patient and the family and ensures the implementation of the interdisciplinary plan of care is coordinated
• Implementing the treatment and pharmaceutical regimen prescribed by any person authorized by State law to prescribe the regimen
• Providing teaching and counseling about the patient's health
• Reporting and recording the plan for care, nursing care given, and the patient's response to that care
• Supervising, teaching, and evaluating those who perform or are preparing to perform nursing functions and administering nursing programs and nursing services
• Providing for the maintenance of safe and effective nursing care, whether rendered directly or indirectly

• Perform other but similar duties as assigned

• Knowledge of Federal, State and Local regulations and Medicare Conditions of Participation
• Knowledge of HIPAA privacy rules and regulations
• Knowledge of electronic medical records systems
• Basic data entry skills, Cerner experience preferred
• Excellent organizational skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellent written and oral communicational skills
• Ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines
• Ability to interact with various departments throughout the organization
• Ability to work flexible weekday and weekend hours
• Ability to participate as a team player to coordinate projects 
• Ability to plan, prioritize and coordinate multiple projects

Experience: 

• Minimum of 2 years clinical experience preferred
• Minimum of 1 year hospice experience preferred
• Demonstrated superior customer service skills
• Demonstrated skill/expertise in pain and symptom management
• Basic computer skills with demonstrated word processing ability
• Demonstrated ability to effectively collaborate and facilitate the work of the interdisciplinary group
• Demonstrated ability to execute an effective, supportive and sensitive response to needs of patients and their families and to staff members

 Licensures & Certifications: (if applicable)

• Valid North Carolina RN license, unrestricted
• Valid driver’s license and proof of automobile insurance 

• Walking, standing, sitting
• Hand dexterity to include writing

All descriptions have been reviewed to ensure that only essential functions and basic duties have been included. Peripheral tasks, only incidentally related to each position, have been excluded. Requirements, skills, and abilities included have been determined to be the minimal standards required to successfully perform the duties of the position. In no instance, however, should the duties, responsibilities, and requirements delineated be interpreted as all-inclusive. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned as deemed appropriate.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is possible that requirements may be modified to reasonably accommodate disabled individuals. 

JOB DESCRIPTIONS ARE NOT INTENDED AS AND DO NOT CREATE EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS. THE ORGANIZATION MAINTAINS ITS STATUS AS AN AT-WILL EMPLOYER.                           

• Facilitates and assists with the patients’ transition from the hospital setting to their home setting up to and including completing the admission to Four Seasons services in the patients’ home setting if necessary; and
• Manages and supervises direct patient care for patients requiring General Inpatient Level of care in the hospital setting which includes collaboration and education of Hospital nursing staff regarding end of life care and symptom management.
• Shares in providing 24 hour, 7 day per week coverage to patients/families by participating in on-call rotation, weekend and holiday coverage per department and agency requirements
• Participates in Four Seasons’ orientation and in-service training programs for professional staff
• Participates in the coordination of the patient’s hospice care in accordance with professional standards of practice
• Actively participates in continuous quality improvement activities (Quality monitoring, Chart audits, PIP’s, Task forces, etc.) and promotes a culture of continuous quality improvement throughout the organization.