RN On-Call Homecare

Primary Function:

The Weekend On-Call Nurse is responsible for providing skilled and compassionate nursing care to patients and support to family members on the week-ends.

Training:

Orientation to Hospice, Home Care, Inpatient Care services and any other training that may be necessary to complete the assigned duties.

Supervision:

Director of Homecare Services

Qualifications:

1. Associate degree or nursing school diploma required.  Bachelor of Science in Nursing preferred. Certification in Hospice and Palliative Care preferred.
2. Licensed as a registered nurse in North Carolina.
3. Maintain current unrestricted North Carolina driver’s license and maintain minimum automobile liability insurance for the duration of employment.
4. Active patient experience within the past two years; bedside nursing outside of the hospital setting is desirable
5. Minimum of two years nursing experience is preferred.
6. Ability to work as a hospice team member and function efficiently in a flexible work environment.
7. Must be physically capable of providing patient care in a patient’s home and various institutional     settings to include supporting, moving, and lifting adult patients, and lifting equipment and supplies.
8. Must be certified to perform CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation).
9. Must meet immunization requirements of North Carolina and Davidson County.

Job Duties:

1. Understand and commit to the Hospice philosophy of care, including the importance of treating the patient as a whole being, physically, psychosocially and spiritually.
2. Triage after hours phone calls promptly.
3. Evaluate the patient/family needs, symptoms, and total condition in order to provide optimal symptom management and support.
4. Contact the patient’s primary care physician and/or Hospice Medical Director as needed to obtain physician orders for needed medications and treatments.
5. Initiate nursing procedures appropriate for the patient’s care and safety.
6. Teach and counsel the patient/family about the disease process, medication management, and     provision of care for the patient.
7. Coordinates with back-up call nurse and delegates calls and visits as needed during high volume call times to meet the needs of the agency’s patients.
8. Completes scheduled visits and phone calls on weekends as assigned.
9. Communicates weekend report to DONS or designee.
10. Maintain accurate documentation of all patient/family and physician contacts per Hospice of    
11. Davidson County policy.
12. Participate in hospice staff meetings, staff development events, and educational programs.
13. Relate professionally and courteously with patients, families, members of the Hospice of Davidson County staff and the medical community.
14. Complete on-call admissions, when assigned. 
15. Supervise and train other nursing service personnel when assigned.
16.  Participate in the Quality Assessment/Performance Improvement process and the ACHC 
17.  accreditation process.
18. Other such responsibilities as assigned by the DONS.
19. Abides by the North Carolina Nurse Practice Act.
20. Maintains the privacy and security of all confidential and protected information as
21. outlined in HIPAA regulations and HODC’s policies.
22. Maintains confidentiality of Protected Health Information (PHI) at all times.
23. Participates in hospice sponsored in-service training.
24. Participates in QUAPI program.
25. Participates on Hospice committees as needed.
26. Performs job duties in accordance with all Hospice policies, procedures, and professional and community standards.
27. Abides by the Hospice Professional Code of Conduct.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, and use hand to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; and reach with hands and arms, to talk or hear.

The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, climb, or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or 

crawl and smell.  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close, distance, color, peripheral and depth perception and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Status and Hours of Work:

This position is classified as exempt.  Usual working hours are 8 am Saturday to 8am Monday. This position is not eligible for overtime pay.