Hospice RN

Primary focus is to conduct comprehensive and timely delivery of hospice care for patients and their families after
regular business hours, including at night and on the weekends. This includes phone calls and in-person patient
visits wherever the patient may be at the time of need. Responsible for communication and coordination of care
with other healthcare providers such as hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, hospice inpatient units, and post-death
providers such as the coroner’s office and funeral homes.

• Able to triage patient needs over the phone until a nurse can provide an in-person visit.
• Responds appropriately and with urgency to crisis calls from patients and families afterhours.
• Makes the initial nursing evaluation in determining eligibility for hospice services, as part of a patient visit, within forty-eight (48) hours of referral if assigned.
• Competent to perform afterhours visits including admission visits, death visits, recertification visits, and routine visits.
• Identifies the patient/family's physical, psychosocial, emotional, and environmental needs and reassesses as needed, no less than every fifteen (15) days.
• Documents problems, appropriate goals, interventions, and patient/family response to hospice care.
• Collaborates with the patient/family, attending physician and other members of the IDG in providing patient and family care.
• Adheres to and supports the policies/procedures/goals/objectives of the hospice agency.
• Strives for independence and sound critical decision-making regarding the delivery of patient care in a cost-effective manner without compromising quality.
• Always maintains patient confidentiality.
• Familiar with the concepts and needs of patients/families who are facing end-of-life.
• Utilizes effective communication with patients, caregivers, hospice team members, physicians, vendors, referral sources and community members, both verbally and in writing.
• Educates, instructs and supervises the patient/family in self-care techniques when appropriate.
• Maintains accurate and relevant clinical notes regarding the patient's condition.
• Reports patient condition and any identified needs/issues to supervisor.
• Completes all required hospice education assignments in a timely manner.
• Participates in a daily nursing report on assigned patients to supervisor and provides all necessary documentation.
• Participates in the hospice agency Quality Assurance Performance Improvement plan.
• Maintains up-to-date personnel file.
• Assists in overseeing the utilization of medications, DME and supplies related to the plan of care in a manner consistent with the needs of the patient, physician’s orders, and the performance goals of the hospice agency.
• Communicates with community health-related persons to coordinate the care plan as needed.
• Communicates with the referring and/or attending physician, if any, regarding hospice eligibility and patient needs to establish and maintain the patient plan of care, including obtaining/receiving physicians’ orders, as required.
• Acts as a liaison with community referral sources, physicians, hospitals, and nursing homes to bring a greater understanding of the hospice philosophy and support to patients and families.
• Responsible to effectively communicating with members of the hospice IDG, clinical supervisor, and the patient’s attending physician, if any, regarding changes in patient status and/or patient needs occurring during afterhours call.
• All other duties as assigned.

Experience Requirements

• One year of clinical experience.

License Requirements

• Current RN licensure in the state of practice and one year of clinical experience.
• Current CPR Certification.
• Current driver's license, valid vehicle insurance, and access to a dependable vehicle, or public transportation.

Additional State-Specific Requirements

• LA: a minimum two-year full time experience working as an RN. However, two years of full-time clinical
• experience in hospice care as a licensed practical nurse may be substituted for the required two years of
• experience as a registered nurse.
• MS: At least one-year full-time experience as an RN. However, three (3) years full-time clinical experience in
• a healthcare setting as an LPN may be substituted for the one-year full time experience as an RN.
• VA: Experience with terminally ill required.
• AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, NC, NJ, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, WA, WV:
• No additional state specific requirements.