RN Hospice Admissions Home Care/LTC Flex | FT | Palatka Area

Hospice Admission Register Nurse (RN)

Behind every award is a story, and ours is written every day by more than 900 dedicated employees and hundreds of compassionate volunteers who walk alongside patients and families when they need us most.

At Community Hospice & Palliative Care, we're honored to be recognized with the Hospice Honors Elite award, a testament not just to our clinical excellence, but to the compassion we bring to every bedside, every home, every conversation. Every day, we serve approximately 1,500 patients living with advanced illness, wherever they call home, be it a private residence, a long-term care or assisted living facility, a hospital, or in one of our nine inpatient care centers.

We're here to improve quality of life, to ease pain and lift burdens, and to be the Compassionate Guide that families need when time matters most. And most importantly, as the only non-profit hospice provider in the region, we never turn anyone away due to an inability to pay.

The Hospice Admission Register Nurse (RN) facilitates speed to care by providing a range of preadmission and admission services. S/he collaborates with internal hospital clinical staff promoting patient admissions and resolving any barriers to the Community Hospice admission process.

The RN also provides education regarding hospice services and philosophy. Generally speaking, s/he collaborates with clinical managers, physicians, nurses, and case managers ensuring the best outcome for patients, families and referral sources.

Position Details

• Work Locations: Putnam County/Palatka Area Home Care/Long Term Care with occasional Regional Hospital visits
• Days/Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm; Every third weekend
• Compensation: $69,000-$74,000 base salary, plus full benefits package, including 23 days PTO annual rollover

Job Responsibilities

• Promotes Community Hospice as the preferred provider of hospice care in our service area.
• Displays an ability to "sell" the benefits of hospice care and resolve patient/family objections.
• Provides information about Community Hospice services and philosophy to patients, caregivers, physicians, long term care administrators and directors of nursing, and the community.
• Ability to implement Medicare Local Coverage Determination to assess patients for Hospice eligibility.
• Collects and communicates appropriate information to/from admission physician to determine hospice eligibility.
• Collects and communicates appropriate information from referring and consulting physicians to help determine hospice eligibility.
• Performs a physical assessment, identifies immediate needs, to include spiritual, functional, psychosocial, and financial needs.
• Applies appropriate nursing interventions and documents concisely in electronic medical record.
• Facilitates Admission to Community Hospice.
• Provides emotional support to patients and families/caregivers with compassion and empathy.
• Develops patient's initial plan of care based on identified immediate needs. Obtains and communicates physician orders for Medications, DME and special treatments to the care team and in the electronic medical record.
• Demonstrates knowledge of medications appropriate for end-of-life care, side effects and adverse interactions.
• Assess, communicate, and obtain orders from Community Hospice physicians to ensure patient comfort.
• Arranges coordinates and supports needed change in level of patient care.
• Facilitates transfers from the Hospital to the next level of care based on Medicare Conditions of Participation.
• Acts as the primary nurse designee while patient is physically in the hospital and communicates all changes as a member of the interdisciplinary care team including updating the patient's plan of care.
• Professional development of self towards resource for end-of-life care, with knowledge, understanding and ability to communicate Medicare Conditions of Participation, Local Coverage Determination, State of Florida Regulations and specific insurance benefits.
• Responsible for education and mentoring of new staff members.
• Builds, develops, and maintains relationships with referring physicians, area social workers, discharge planners and community agency staff in order to network and facilitate admission and placement of patient.
• Educates medical community on what are hospice appropriate referrals.
• Cultivates, develops, and enhances existing relationships with physicians, hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
• Participates in hospital committees, speaks at hospital end-of-life in services, coordinates staff education with Hospice Representatives and actively explores new opportunities for growth of patient referrals and admissions.
• Represents Community Hospice professionally at all times through care and/or services provided to all clients.
• Employees assigned this job title must be willing and able to flex their work location between the various Hospitals and assist with home admissions as needed.
• All other duties as assigned.

Required Licenses/Certifications:

• Licensure as a registered nurse in the state of Florida.
• CPR certified.
• State of Florida driver's license with driving record acceptable to Community Hospice insurance carrier; reliable transportation.
• Level II AHCA (Agency for Healthcare Administration) Background Screening
• CHPN certification a plus

Education/Experience: Any combination of education and experience that would provide required skills and knowledge for successful performance would be acceptable.

• Possession of a degree from a diploma nursing program and/or two (2) year program or Bachelor's degree in nursing from an accredited school of nursing.
• Minimum of two years' experience in hospital or LTC setting required with ICU or ER experience a plus.
• Reliable transportation that allows employees to shift work locations when needed.

General Knowledge of:

• Hospice services, philosophy and admission procedures
• Advance Directives pursuant to State Regulations
• The Medicaid Application Process; referral and placement protocols for Independent, Assisted and Long Term Care Facilities
• Pain and Symptom Management
• Principles of Customer Service

Skilled at:

• Communicating with empathy and compassion; guiding the family during the patient's final hours
• Identifying the patient's values, life goals, and preferences regarding dying
• Identifying psychosocial and spiritual needs of patients and families and resources to meet those needs
• Coordination of care and ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary team
• Cross-cultural sensitivity and cultural competence Information sharing, including the ability to break bad news skillfully
• Working autonomously with minimal supervision
• Being flexible and adaptable to change
• Assessment/Nursing skills and principles of Nursing practice