Hospice Float RN

When you join the growing BILH team, you're not just taking a job, you’re making a difference in people’s lives.

The Hospice RN Float plans and delivers care to patients utilizing the nursing process of assessment, planning, interventions, implementation, and evaluation; and effectively interacts with patients, significant others, and other interdisciplinary team members while maintaining standards of professional nursing and clinical competency.

Provides appropriate palliative and hospice care through assessment, teaching, counseling and direct care to client and/or family members. Coordinates care with other community resources as needed. Coordinates care with other team members and attends Hospice Interdisciplinary Team meetings as indicated

Assumes responsibility of established caseload of patients across all branches based on Agency need, as directed by supervisor. The location where this role is based may not be predictable or consistent and travel will be required to any part of the BILH at Home service area as needed.

Job Description:

The Hospice RN Float plans and delivers care to patients utilizing the nursing process of assessment, planning, interventions, implementation, and evaluation; and effectively interacts with patients, significant others, and other interdisciplinary team members while maintaining standards of professional nursing and clinical competency. 

Provides appropriate palliative and hospice care through assessment, teaching, counseling and direct care to client and/or family members. Coordinates care with other community resources as needed. Coordinates care with other team members and attends Hospice Interdisciplinary Team meetings as indicated

Assumes responsibility of established caseload of patients across all branches based on Agency need, as directed by supervisor. The location where this role is based may not be predictable or consistent and travel will be required to any part of the BILH at Home service area as needed.  

Essential Duties & Responsibilities including but not limited to:

▪    Manage care of patients, coordinate all services and facilitate communication between all providers.
▪    Provide skilled nursing care and prescribed treatments to patients and families in their home.
▪    Maintain productivity expectations.
▪    Provide documentation of services utilizing problem-oriented record.
▪    Plan for continuity of care with nursing team members, patient, family, and other disciplines.
▪    Use opportunities for teaching nursing care, comfort measures and health practices to the patient, families and others.
▪    Instruct and supervise care given by the Home Health Aides.
▪    Communicate and coordinate with other health and social agency personnel to assist in planning, implementing, evaluation service to the patient and family.
▪    Participate in bi-weekly hospice case conference or as required.  

Patient Care  
Assumes responsibility to coordinate patient care for assigned patients including but not limited to: 
▪    Completion of Hospice Hope Tool time points. Accepts accountability for patient satisfaction scores and quality of care outcome measure results. 
▪    Completes and documents an initial assessment of patient and family, as assigned, to determine hospice care needs.  Provides a complete physical assessment and history of current and previous illness(es).Develops a patient specific plan of care, which establishes goals based on nursing diagnosis and incorporates therapeutic, preventive, and palliative nursing actions, with emphasis on pain and symptom management. Includes the patient and the family in the planning process.
▪    Initiates the plan of care, as assigned, and makes necessary revisions as patient status and needs change.
▪    Administers medications and treatments as prescribed by the physician.
▪    Counsels the patient and family in meeting patient needs related to physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. 
▪    Respects and supports patient and family’s cultural beliefs and values, individual needs, health goals and treatment preferences.
▪    Provides information to the patient and family regarding the dying process and expectations. 
▪    Provides instruction regarding medication actions, side effects, dosage, route, and frequency.
▪    Instructs, supervises and evaluates hospice health aide care provided. Supports the supervision of care provided by the hospice aide every 14 days and as needed. 
▪    Assists in managing the hospice benefit periods in accordance with evolving patient needs and continued eligibility for services.
▪    Performs liaison visits and hospice informational visits to patients in the community and in facilities to discuss hospice and palliative care services

Communication
▪    Communicates with the physician, Hospice RN Case Manager and clinical manager regarding the patient’s needs and reports any changes in the patient’s condition; obtains/receives physician’s orders as required.
▪    Attends and contributes to IDT meetings every two weeks at a minimum, and as needed. 
▪    Communicates and coordinates with the team LPN as appropriate. 
▪    Collaborates, communicates, and cooperates as appropriate with other health care providers to ensure quality end-of-life care.

Documentation
▪    Demonstrates proficiency in Hope Tool completion. Including HUV and Symptom Follow up visits
▪    Documentation supports hospice eligibility.
▪    Documentation supports that the patient meets hospice criteria ongoing.
▪    Completes documentation in accordance with agency timeliness policies.

Professional Development 
▪    Maintains and updates clinical knowledge and skills based on current nursing practice.
▪    Adheres to departmental requirements for required training.
▪    Identifies specific learning needs & goals and collaborates with nursing leadership in developing a plan to meet them.

Additional Duties
▪    Participates in the weekend/holiday/on-call rotation as defined by BILH at Home. 
▪    Ensures that arrangements for equipment and other necessary items and services are available.
▪    Participates in in-service programs and supervises, teaches and precepts other nursing personnel as assigned by Clinical Manager.
▪    Covers across branches as requested 

 
 
 Organizational Requirements: 
•    Maintain strict adherence to the Continuing Care Confidentiality policy.
•    Incorporate Continuing Care Standards of Behavior and Guiding Principles into daily activities.
•    Comply with all Continuing Care Policies.
•    Comply with behavioral expectations of the Continuing Care Division.
•    Maintain courteous and effective interactions with colleagues and patients.
•    Demonstrate an understanding of the job description, performance expectations, and competency assessment.
•    Demonstrate a commitment toward meeting and exceeding the needs of our customers and consistently adheres to Customer Service standards.
•    Participate in departmental and/or interdepartmental quality improvement activities.  
•    Participate in and successfully completes Mandatory Education. 
•    Perform all other duties as needed or directed to meet the needs of the department.

  Minimum Qualifications: 
Education:    •    Registered Nurse from a Graduate of National League for Nursing accredited school of nursing.
•    BSN strongly preferred.

Licensure, Certification & Registration:    •    Current license to practice as a registered professional nurse in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and New Hampshire
•    Current Basic Life Support Certification
•    Valid driver’s license
Experience:    •    3-5 years recent professional nursing experience required. 
•    Minimum of one year hospice experience 
Skills, Knowledge & Abilities:    •    Must be sensitive to the needs of terminally ill patients and families and one's own feelings about dying and death. 
•    Must demonstrate the ability to interact in a positive and courteous manner with patients, families, other employees and outside vendors. 
•    The ability to work both independently and as part of a team are essential. 
•    Demonstrates excellent observation and problem solving/critical thinking skills.
•    Well-developed verbal and written communication skills; essential computer skills to work with EMR.
•    Self-directed and able to work with minimal supervision
•    Shows strong ability to organize and prioritize workload independently; nursing skills per competency checklist.

  Key Relationships:  
    Title    Nature of Relationship To Position
1    All other clinical positions    Work collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team for quality patient outcome.
2    Clinical Manager    Reports to – case conferences with on a weekly basis
3    Office Support Staff    Work collaboratively to ensure accurate scheduling of pts visits, accurate insurance billing for services provided to pts
 
Scope/Impact Statement: 
Work Schedule: Indicate either Yes or No as appropriate.  Hours of work may be subject to change based upon the needs of the business/department.

On Call: YES    Shift Rotation: YES    Weekends: YES

Physical Requirements & Environment: 
For each category, select ONE option from choices below by placing an X in the space to the left of the entry.

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