Hospice Registered Nurse

Safro Staffing has partnered with a hospice care provider committed to compassionate care and a low patient/nurse ratio. We are seeking a talented RN to provide direct nursing care for hospice patients in the Plymouth, MA area.

The RN Case Manager:

• Implements the physician's plan of care and establishes a nursing plan of care based on nursing process.

• Trains and supports the family in the provision of care to the patient.

• Assumes the direct supervisory role of Hospice Aides.

• Refers the patient/family to other appropriate hospice disciplines and community resources as appropriate.

• Develops care plans in conjunction with long-term care facilities serviced.

Reports to: Patient Care Manager/ Program Director

Qualifications:

• Licensed as a Registered Nurse in Massachusetts.

• Must meet educational experience requirement outlines in the laws of licensure in Massachusetts.

• Knowledge of Medicare and Medicaid requirements outlined in the laws of licensure.

• Ability to relate and treat terminally ill patients/families and their particular problems.

• Must possess strong patient assessment, patient management, and documentation skills.

• Previous experience in venipuncture skills and intravenous therapy administration preferred.

• Ability to function in any home situation regardless of age, race, creed, color, sex, disability, or financial condition of the patient.

• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, telephone, documentation, and communication skills.

• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary setting and interact professionally as a member of a multidisciplinary team.

• Must possess a strong commitment to the goals, mission, and philosophy of the organization.

• Ability to work flexible hours as required to meet identified patient needs.

• Absolute integrity and the use of good judgment to handle the professional and confidential nature of assignments.

• Ability to adapt to changing organizational needs.

• Speaks, writes, reads, and comprehends English.

• Must have reliable automobile with current proof of insurance.

Physical Requirements:

• Heavy Work: Able to exert 50 to 100 pounds of force occasionally.

• Standing/walking: Must be able to stand/walk frequently and intermittently to accomplish task.

• Lift: Must occasionally raise objects form a lower to a higher position or mover objects horizontally from position to position.

• Pushing/Pulling: Must occasionally use upper extremities to push and/or pull objects in a sustained motion.

• Climbing: Must frequently climb in and out of car. Must frequently ascend and descend stairs, uneven services or obstacles, which may be located indoors or outdoors and may not be handicap accessible.

• Stoop/Kneel/Crouch: Must frequently stoop, kneel, or crouch during the provision of patient care.

• Balancing: Must maintain balance which is necessary for ordinary locomotion and body equilibrium.

• Sitting: Must sit frequently.

• Reaching: Must frequently reach.

• Fingering/grasping: Must frequently finger and/or grasp objects, including a writing instrument.

• Feeling: Must frequently touch objects, including the human body, to perceive attributes such as size, shape, temperature, or texture.

• Talking: Must frequently exchange information in person and on the telephone to patients, doctors, family members, and Caring Hospice employees by means of the spoken word. Communication may also occur by means of electronic devices.

• Repetitive Motions: Must frequently use upper and/or lower extremities in a repetitive manner including writing, driving and typing.

• Sensory needs: Must possess fine motor skills, visual acuity (including near and far vision) of color discrimination and depth perception and those senses necessary for patient examination/ assessment, communication, driving, including sight, touch, hearing, and smell.

Working Conditions

• Subject to environmental conditions: activities occur inside and outside

• Subject to a variety of physical conditions within individual’s patient homes; safety issues may include basic home safety, fire safety, environmental safety and bathroom safety.

• May occasionally be required to handle hazardous substances including blood, infectious materials and hazardous waste.

Essential Functions

• Assess patients’ families referred for hospice care.

• Assess the physical and psychological status of the patient as well as identifying the interpersonal, financial and spiritual needs of the patient and family.

• Reviews past and present medical history of the patient. Perceptive in planning and problem solving.

• Communicates pertinent findings to the physician implements initial medical treatment plain instructs family accordingly.

• Refers to other hospice disciplines as needed and refers to other community agencies as indicated.

• Patients plans of care are developed with input from patient/family, implemented evaluated

Plans of care are geared to the provision of comfort for the patient especially pain and symptom management, bowel and bladder function, nutrition, sleep, and mobility needs.

• Communicate information regarding patient’s plan of care with other hospice staff members at week interdisciplinary team meeting and as needed.

• Provides hospice nursing care seven days a week in on call and weekend rotation to assigned caseload, per agency policies and standard of care.

• Establishes schedule of nursing visits per patient and family needs; completes necessary visits or notifies supervisor is assistance is needed.

• Performs ongoing assessment of patient’s condition, physical care needs and needs of families for support in giving care.

• Maintains ongoing communication with prescribing physician for changes in medication and treatments as needed.

• Assist & encourages anticipatory planning to maximize patient comfort and continuity of care.

• Visit hospitalized Medicare Hospice Benefit patients and other hospice patients communicate with hospital personnel and physician to facilitate continuity of care and prompt discharge to home.

• Maintains confidentiality of all patient information per agency policy.

• Promotes education for patients, patient families, hospice staff and community.

• Identifies patient and patient’s family educational needs.

• Develops and incorporates patients/families educational plan in the team care plan of all patient.

• Participates in the orientation of new nursing staff as requested by supervisor.

• Documents hospice patients condition and nursing interventions on clinical record.

• Nursing clinical records are legible, accurate, dated and signed as per agency policy.

• Directs and guides the activities and performance of HHA to ensure the provision of high quality home nursing care.

• Monitors HHA performance and reports to the HHA liaison/PCM the aide’s conduct ability and quality of care rendered.

• Assumes responsibility in personal professional growth.

• Demonstrates competent knowledge and skills to assure that the assessment treatment or care is appropriate to the age of the patients served (pediatrics, adolescents, adults and/or geriatrics).

• Serves as a member on the Record Review committee when requested.

• Interprets nursing policies and procedures to non-nursing personnel.

• Participates in local professional organizations and activities.

• Promotes services in the local community.

• Reacts to change productively and performs other job related tasks and duties as assigned.

Service:

• Responds promptly to patient requests.

• Serves as a mentor for agency personnel and/or students engaged in clinical affiliations.

• Acts as a role model in confidentiality, professionalism, appropriate attire, unbiased interpersonal relationships and work attitudes.

• Complies with accepted ethical conduct and professional standards of nursing practice set forth by the American Nursing Association.

Continuous Quality Improvement and Performance Improvement:

• Ensures confidentiality of patient records.

• Implements a multidisciplinary approach to patient care by assessing and identifying the patients need for other agency services and communicating that need to the designated case manager and/or the patient’s physician.

• Participates in interdisciplinary team conferences and in service educated programs as required by agency policies and patient needs.

• Participates in performance improvements activities when requested.

• Attends disciplinary team meetings and staff meetings to enhance team communication, coordination of services and quality of services.

• Ensures all protected health information and personal information is secure and encrypted and destroyed as per high tech HIPAA privacy and safety act effective February 2010.

• Participates in performance improvement activities at the program.

Documentation:

• Ensures confidentiality of patient records/information.

• Completes daily report sheets and any required paperwork in a timely fashion to ensure agency operating schedules.

• Complies with national standards within Joint Commission, state, and federal guidelines.