LPN Phone Nurse, Full Time, 1 FTE

Phone Nurse

Join our team at Stillwater Hospice! At Stillwater Hospice, we foster and support growth, teamwork, and good work-life balance among all staff. We offer competitive wages and benefits in our team-forward, positive care environment. We look forward to talking to you today about joining our team! Compensation is based on total years of experience in previous clinical roles. In this role, you'll care for patients across the entire Stillwater Hospice service area. You will work 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday, with weekend rotations. We pride ourselves on promoting an excellent work-life balance and providing excellent employee benefits.

Position Title: Phone Nurse

Fmla Status: Exempt, salaried

Reports To: Clinical Team Leader

Position Objective:

Assists the primary RN case manager in the coordination of patient care by receiving and making patient-related telephone calls. Communicates patient needs and changes in the patient's plan of care to the physician, patient/family, members of the interdisciplinary team, and other providers of patient care.

Qualifications:

• Graduate of an accredited school of nursing. Bachelor's degree in nursing or related field preferred.
• Infusion skills preferred.
• Must have a current LPN or RN license to practice in the state of Indiana.
• Must be able to provide those services requiring substantial specialized nursing skill.
• Must have one (1) year of hospital or home health care experience.
• Must have a current motor vehicle operator's license and have access to an automobile with current automobile insurance coverage.
• Must be able to drive independently to all patient/family clients' homes.
• Must be able to safely perform the essential functions of the job without posing a direct threat to the health and/or safety of him/herself or others in the workplace.
• Must be comfortable working with hospice patients with an emphasis on palliative care.
• Any other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Essential Functions:

• Receives and responds to patient-related telephone calls.
• Recognizes the needs and emergencies of hospice and palliative care patients.
• Evaluates the outcomes of patient care and communicates with attending MD and/or third-party reimbursement, changes in the patient's condition, and needs.
• Communicates changes in the patient's plan of care to RN case manager, clinical team leader, and others on the interdisciplinary team as appropriate.
• Coordinates care and services with other health care providers, including pharmacies, durable medical equipment providers, and infusion suppliers.
• Anticipates problems related to the impending death of the patient and pursues problem resolution with the interdisciplinary team.
• Documents findings accurately and promptly in the Agency's electronic documentation system according to the Agency policy.
• Communicates to designated Agency staff medical supply needs.
• Recommends utilization of additional Agency services and other community services, as appropriate.
• Maintains a therapeutic relationship with patients/families. This includes confidentiality of personal matters as well as patients', coworkers', and the Agency's business.
• Implements Agency policies, including clinical policies and procedures, in all work-related situations.
• Serves as a back-up to the admissions department to assist with intake and referral of new patients, and entering referral information in the electronic documentation system.
• Delivers nursing care to patients as needed, which includes initial assessment, evaluation/admission visit, pain/symptom management, teaching, providing direct care, referral, advocacy, and monitoring.
• Functions independently in the patient's setting when assigned.
• Works in a cooperative relationship with other Agency personnel.
• Seeks appropriate clinical supervision when necessary.
• Participates in the Agency's committees and task forces as requested.
• Assumes responsibility for continued personal growth and development.
• Seeks educational opportunities to improve practice and participates in in-service programs.
• Adheres to all Agency policies.
• Adheres to Stillwater Hospice privacy practices as described in the Notice of Privacy Practices.
• Participates in quality improvement activities and/or other agency committees or task forces when requested.

Marginal Functions:

• Supervises clinically the care delegated to Home Health Aides/CNAs, as assigned.
• Instructs Home Health Aides/CNAs on specific patient care procedures within approved policies, as assigned.
• Provides personal care.

Essential Physical/Mental Functions:

• Must have visual, hearing, and mental ability to initiate and comprehend written and verbal communication.
• Must be able to engage in clear, concise verbal/non-verbal communication.
• Lifting: Transfer patients into positions where they can perform daily care, personal hygiene, and grooming. Occasional to frequent.
• Carrying: Personal hygiene supplies to and from the bathroom to the patient, frequently. linen for short distances; occasional.
• Pushing/pulling: Readjust patient in bed; occasional.
• Standing: While performing patient care. Frequent to occasional.
• Sitting: While driving to and from the patient's home. Occasional.
• Climbing: Up and down stairs in the patient's home; occasional.
• Must be able to climb a minimum of three (3) flights of stairs.
• Balancing and reaching: Needed for normal ambulation, climbing stairs. Occasional to frequent.
• Stooping/kneeling/crouching: To perform patient care. Frequent.
• Handling patient care items, i.e., soap, shampoo, toothbrush, comb, and dressing. Frequent.
• Fingering: Pen, visit reports. Occasional to frequent.
• Openings: Bottles and jars. Occasional.
• Talking: To communicate with the patient and family, and to communicate with the supervisor and coworkers. Frequent.
• Hearing: To communicate with the patient, coworkers, the patient's family, and the supervisor. Frequent to constant.
• Seeing: Constant.
• Must have the ability to remain calm in occasional emergencies.
• Recognizes emergencies and knows emergency procedures, according to Agency policy.

Essential Hazardous Physical Exposures:

• Must be willing to travel between patients in inclement weather.
• Potential threat of physical violence to self. (Security personnel available upon request.)
• Potential exposure to dangerous animals, such as dogs, rodents, etc.
• Potential exposure to environmental pollutants.
• Potential exposure to infectious diseases, needle sticks, blood and body fluids, and hazardous waste.

Chemical or Hazardous Physical Exposures:

• Potential exposure to substances within the office environment, including copy machine toner, VDT emissions, cleaning solvents, and medical supply chemicals.
• Potential exposure to chemical/cleaning substances in the patient's home environment.

Essential Personal Protective Equipment Required:

• Standard blood and body fluid precautions will be consistently used for all patients.

Other Special Considerations:

• Must be willing to accept assignments and other duties as deemed necessary without regard to location, socioeconomic environment, disease, or ethnic group.
• Must accept responsibility for on-call coverage, as assigned.
• Must be willing to make scheduled visits on holidays, weekends, or evenings when assigned.

The published compensation range for this position reflects a good-faith estimate of starting base pay for full-time (40 hours per week) employment at the time of posting. The base pay may be higher or lower based on demonstrated job-related experience.

Stillwater Hospice has been caring for the seriously ill of Northeast Indiana since 1888, and our goal is to foster the optimal quality of life through medical, spiritual, and emotional support for patients and their loved ones. We provide high-quality, patient-focused, and compassionate care that helps terminally ill patients and