RN | Full-Time | Hospice

Position Summary

The registered nurse plans, organizes and directs hospice care and is experienced in nursing, with emphasis on community health education/experience.  The professional nurse builds from the resources of the community to planand direct services to meet the needs of individual and families within their homes and communities. 

Key Responsibilities

Patient Care 

• Completes an initial, comprehensive and ongoing assessments of patientand family to determine hospice needs.   Provides a complete physical assessment and history of current and previous illness(es). 
• Provides professional nursing care by utilizing all elements of nursing process. 
• Assesses and evaluates patient’s status by: 

A.   Writing and initiating plan of care 

B.   Regularly re-evaluating patientand family/caregiver needs 

C.   Participating in revising the plan of care as necessary 

• Uses health assessment data to determinenursing diagnosis. 
• Develops a care planthat establishesgoals,based on nursing diagnosis and incorporates palliative nursing actions.  Includes thepatient and the family in the planning process. 
• Initiates appropriate preventiveand rehabilitative nursing procedures.  Administers medicationsand treatments as prescribed by the physician in the physician’s plan of care. 
• Counsels the patient and family in meetingnursing and relatedneeds. 
• Provides health care instructions to thepatient as appropriate per assessment and plan. 
• Assists thepatient with the activities of daily living and facilitates thepatient’s efforts toward self-sufficiencyandoptional comfort care. 
• Acts as Case Manager when assigned by Clinical Supervisor and assumes responsibility to coordinate patient care for assigned caseload. 

Communication 

• Completes, maintainsand submits accurate and relevant clinical notes regarding patient’s condition and care given.  Recordspain/symptom management changes/outcomes as appropriate. 
• Communicates with the physician regarding the patient’s needs and reports changes in the patient’s condition;obtains/receives physicians’ orders as required. 
• Communicates with community health relatedpersons to coordinate the care plan. 
• Teaches the patientand family/caregiver self-care techniques asappropriate.  Provides medication, diet and other instructions as ordered by the physicianand recognizes and utilizes opportunities for health counseling with patients and families/caregivers.  Works in concert withthe interdisciplinary group. 
• Provides and maintains a safe environment for the patient. 
• Assists thepatient and family/caregiver and other team members in providing continuity of care. 
• Works in cooperation with the family/caregiver and hospice Interdisciplinary Group Members to meetthe emotional needs of the patient and family/caregiver. 
• Attends interdisciplinary group meetings. 

Additional Duties 

• Participates in on-call duties asdefined by the on-call policy. 
• Ensures that arrangements for equipmentand other necessary itemsand services are available. 
• Supervisesancillary personnel anddelegates responsibilities when required. 
• Assumes responsibility for personal growth and development and maintains and upgrades professional knowledge and practice skills through attendanceandparticipation in continuing education and inservice classes. 
• Fulfills the obligation of requestedand/or accepted case assignments. 
• Actively participates in quality assessment performance improvement teamsand activities.