Nurse Practitioner

POSITION SUMMARY: The Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner (NP) provides palliative care consultation directly to patients/families/caregivers to ensure specialty services are available to patients with a serious illness and a prognosis of one year or less who are not ready or eligible for hospice care. Proactively identifies patient-centered opportunities to improve the patient’s and family’s experience of illness, anticipates and treats distressing symptoms. As a member of the palliative care Interdisciplinary Group (IDG), provides and facilitates evidence-based plan of care that improves the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of needed health-related interventions and resources. The NP provides specialized assessment, diagnoses, and implements a high-quality palliative plan of care utilizing evidence-based treatment protocols to provide patient-centered goals of care, symptom management, disease trajectory, prognostic education and counseling. Actively fosters team processes that support appropriate referral for setting management. Closely communicates with patent’s referring physician to make recommendations and discuss the ongoing plan of care. Provides outreach to community agencies and health care settings (like skilling nursing facilities) to provide direct patient care in those settings when consulted. Under the direction and in collaboration with the Palliative Care Medical Director, patient’s referring physician, collaborating physicians, Palliative Care Clinical Director, and Palliative Care Interdisciplinary Group, assures that agency complies with legal and regulatory standards, clinical protocols, policies, and procedures. ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING: Demonstrates effective and ethical use of approved, evidence-based palliative medicine practices in the delivery of all patient care based on physical, emotional, spiritual, psychosocial, ethical, educational, safety and related criteria, appropriate to the ages of patients served. Demonstrates knowledgeable clinical expertise by incorporating palliative care body of knowledge to formulate an effective plan of care. Systematically gathers pertinent information from all sources, including medical records, family history, and caregivers, and includes a thorough clinical patient assessment of patient’s physical, emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual needs. Completes a comprehensive assessment utilizing the palliative care domains of assessment, interprets findings, conducts medication reconciliation, formulates problem-related diagnosis, initiates plan of care utilizing therapeutic interventions, and evaluates the results of these steps for adequate outcome responses. Provides thorough assessment of distressing symptoms utilizing appropriate scales and assessment techniques and prescribes evidence-based medications and adjunctive interventions for the palliation of symptoms. Formulates diagnoses and documents a problem list reflecting the appropriate history, physical examination, and results of diagnostic tests. Demonstrates professional consult etiquette and effective communication skills when discussing plan of care and recommendations with Medical Director, patient’s primary care provider, specialist providers, and IDG to ensure effective communication concerning the plan of care. Performs and documents ongoing reassessment of problems, and implications for management revision, utilizing problem-oriented documentation, as indicated by patient/caregiver needs. Demonstrates effective therapeutic communication/counseling techniques when performing illness counseling and conducting family conferences to discuss plan of care. Interacts in a positive manner with patient/family/caregivers, providing necessary information, and emotional/spiritual support. Contributes to the health teaching of patients, families, and caregivers, regarding the patient’s anticipated/active distressing symptoms, identified diagnosis, disease trajectory, advance directives, prognostic awareness, and end of life issues with appropriate teaching materials and strategies. Functions independently without supervision, utilizing time constructively, organizing assignments for maximum productivity. Provides timely, effective medical record documentation, coding, and utilizing appropriate professional clinical language and approved abbreviations. Available daily to triage referrals to the palliative care service to determine appropriate level of intervention and urgency of intervention. Maintains contact with patient’s home care providers to assist in care management as necessary to facilitate optimal care. Assists in leading IDG meetings to facilitate collaboration through discussion of patient plan of care, progress, significant events or patient decline, caregiver needs and family dynamics on an as-needed basis. Makes recommendations to the team, as needed. Demonstrates attitude of inquiry towards medical/nursing practices and assists in developing evidence-based nursing-based protocols for quality outcomes. Assists in the orientation of new members of the palliative care IDG while serving as a resource and preceptor. Acts as a role model for open communication and collaboration with all members of the team. Consults with Medical Director and collaborating physicians as needed. Pursues problems to resolution and/or refers them through the appropriate chain of command. Participates in assigned departmental activities and committees, working in a constructive manner. Participates in on-call rotation as assigned. Reviews current professional literature and utilizes evidence-based medical/nursing research to improve own clinical practice and stay updated. Maintains required continued education for APRN licensure, prescriptive authority, certifications, technical skills training, and credentials. Supports the growth of palliative care service lines by contributing time and expertise to community education as needed. Other appropriate services and special projects as assigned. The above statements are only meant to be a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by incumbents of this job. The incumbents may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those stated in this description.

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS FOR THE POSITION:

Current NP licensure in state of practice. Nurse Practitioner/CNS with prescriptive authority. Must maintain all requirements for licensure. At least five (5) years of clinical nursing experience with at least one (1) as NP with hospice, palliative care, or oncology preferred. Certification in an appropriate advanced practice are will be considered. Current CPR certification required. Current Driver’s License, vehicle insurance, and access to a dependable vehicle or public transportation.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This role may have supervisory responsibilities.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Job may require heavy use of office equipment, including computer, tablet, and phone. Must have the reasonable ability to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger, handle, feel, reach, balance, see, talk, hear, and drive. Must be reasonably capable of lifting over twenty (20) pounds. Significant portion (>50%) of daily assignments may require travel to client/resident/patient locations or other work sites, via car or public transportation. Work schedule may occasionally require evening, night, holiday, or weekend assignments.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I have read this job description and fully understand the requirements and notices set forth therein. I hereby accept the position and agree to perform the identified essential functions in a safe manner and in accordance with the Company’s established policies and procedures. I agree to request guidance from my Supervisor if I am unsure of how to interpret any policy. I further understand that my employment is at-will and thereby understand that my employment may be terminated at-will either by the Company or myself, and that such termination can be made with or without notice. This position consistently supports and promotes compliance with the Code of Conduct by maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of information, protecting the assets of the agency, acting with ethics and integrity, reporting non-compliance, and adhering to applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations, accreditation and licensure requirements (if applicable), and all policies and procedures. The employer for this position is stated in the job posting. The Pennant Group, Inc. is a holding company of independent operating subsidiaries that provide healthcare services through home health and hospice agencies and senior living communities located throughout the US. Each of these businesses is operated by a separate, independent operating subsidiary that has its own management, employees and assets. More information about The Pennant Group, Inc. is available at #J-18808-Ljbffr UT Medical Center Home Care Services