Outpatient Hospice Registered Nurse (RN)

With some recent regulation adjustments, Valley Regional Hospice is searching for a passionate, dedicated full-time Hospice Registered Nurse to join our team. This is a meaningful opportunity for an RN who is passionate about providing comfort, dignity, and exceptional support to patients and families during one of life's most tender seasons, a deeply personal time in their journey.

The position runs Monday through Friday during daytime hours and our agency provides hospice care in the home environment. The on-call rotation is shared -- we work with a triage company that handles all the phone inquiries outside of business hours, and clinicians working on-call will only have to pick up calls if a visit needs to be made.

Why this role stands out:

• Full-time opportunity with plenty of opportunities for overtime.
• Supportive, team-oriented environment where your clinical skill and expertise is valued!
• Opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of our patients, their families, and our community.
• On-call rotation included, with the chance to be part of a responsive and caring hospice team - and the on-call rotation is much more manageable than a traditional on-call requirement.
• Meaningful, rewarding work that allows you to use your clinical skills with purpose and compassion, exercising autonomy and the full range of your scope as an RN!

Essential Job Functions/Responsibilities

Patient Care

• Completes an initial, comprehensive and ongoing assessments of patient and 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:
• Writing and initiating plan of care
• Regularly re-evaluating patient and family/caregiver needs.
• Participating in revising the plan of care as necessary
• Uses health assessment data to determine nursing diagnosis.
• Develops a care plan that establishes goals, based on nursing diagnosis and incorporates palliative nursing actions. Includes the patient and the family in the planning process.
• Initiates appropriate preventive and rehabilitative nursing procedures. Administers medications and treatments as prescribed by the physician in the physician’s plan of care.
• Counsels the patient and family in meeting nursing and related needs.
• Assists the patient with the activities of daily living and facilitates the patient’s efforts toward self-sufficiency and optional comfort care.
• Acts as Case Manager when assigned by Clinical Supervisor and assumes responsibility to coordinate patient care for assigned caseload.

Communication

• Completes, maintains and submits accurate and relevant clinical notes regarding patient’s condition and care given. Records pain/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 related persons to coordinate the care plan.
• Teaches the patient and family/caregiver self-care techniques as appropriate. Provides medication, diet and other instructions as ordered by the physician and recognizes and utilizes opportunities for health counseling with patients and families/caregivers. Works in concert with the interdisciplinary group.
• Provides and maintains a safe environment for the patient.
• Assists the patient and family/caregiver and other team members in providing continuity of care.
• Attends interdisciplinary group meetings.

Additional Duties

• Participates in on-call duties as defined by the on-call policy.
• Ensures that arrangements for equipment and other necessary items and services are available.
• Supervises ancillary personnel and delegates responsibilities when required.
• Fulfills the obligation of requested and/or accepted case assignments.
• Actively participates in quality assessment performance improvement teams and activities.

Position Qualifications

• Registered Nurse with current licensure to practice professional nursing in the state.
• Maintains a current CPR certification.
• Minimum of two years’ experience, at least one of which is in the area of public health, home care, or hospice nursing is preferred. Hospice experience is highly preferred, but not required.
• Management experience not required. Responsible for supervising hospice aides.
• Demonstrates excellent observation, problem solving, verbal and written communications; nursing skills per competency checklist.
• Prolonged or considerable walking or standing. Able to lift, position, and/or transfer patients. Able to lift supplies and equipment. Considerable reaching, stooping, bending, kneeling, and/or crouching. Visual acuity and hearing to perform required nursing skills.