Palliative Nurse Practitioner

Palliative Nurse Practitioner

Rutherford & Polk Counties - Rutherfordton, NC 28139

Overview

Position Type: Full Time Job Shift: Day Education Level: Graduate Degree Travel Percentage: Up to 25% Category: Health Care

Description

VIA Health Partners is an industry leader and top-10 nationally ranked provider of end-of-life care. More importantly we are proud to be a community based, not for profit hospice & palliative care provider. We have deep community roots, with decades of experience serving ALL patients' and families' needs regardless of their ability to pay or their medical complexity. We are a people first organization whose funds go to serve our mission.

Due to our significant growth, we are looking for amazing new staff who share these same values. Apply now and be a part of our success story.

We provide excellent benefits including:

• Medical, Vision, and Dental plans through BCBS
• 28 days of Paid Time Off
• Excellent mileage reimbursement rate
• 403b Retirement plan with matching
• Focused programs honoring Veteran patients
• Assistance with achieving Certified Hospice & Palliative Nurse (CHPN)
• Best Orientation and Onboarding program you've experienced
• Seasoned Hospice leaders guiding your career growth

Essential Functions

In addition to the general services outlined by the Board HPCCR Nurse Practitioners will also provide the following specific services related to the care of patients with advanced life threatening/life limiting illnesses:

• Promotes the highest quality of end of life care including hospice care and widespread use of advanced directives.
• Prevents suffering and alleviation of physical, spiritual, and psychological pain.
• Diagnoses, treats, and manages pain and other symptoms frequently experienced by patients at the end of life.
• Guides and counsels patients and their families regarding disease progression, prognosis and the benefits/burdens of therapeutic measures, tests, procedures, and drugs.
• Prescribes and/or recommends therapeutic measures, tests, procedures, and drugs (including narcotics) in accordance within the ethical principles of medicine.
• Plans for situations beyond the nurse practitioner's expertise and conferring with the Medical Director, or a Medical Services Physician as appropriate.
• Serves as an end-of-life care education resource both within the organization and in the outside community.
• Pursues actively and passionately educational opportunities that lead to improved outcomes.

As part of the comprehensive and compassionate care of patients with advanced life threatening/life limiting illnesses a Nurse Practitioner may utilize the following strategies:

• Evaluates patients by performing history and physical examinations.
• Discusses patient with attending physicians, consultants, nursing staff, and other medical professionals.
• Prescribes systemic and topical drug therapies including narcotics for the pain and other symptoms.
• Conducts patient/family meetings to review medical issues and establish goals of care.
• Provides general psychosocial support.
• Refers for diet/exercise therapies.
• Recommends other non-pharmacological therapies such as massage therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and music therapy.
• Recommends additional psychosocial counseling by mental health professionals.
• Prescribes medical supplies and equipment.
• Recommends appropriate diagnostic tests and studies.
• Reviews and discusses advance care directives.
• Recommends referral to hospice services.
• Participates in team discussions regarding patient care to gain insight and suggestions.
• Self directs learning to remain up-to-date on current trends in hospice and palliative medicine.

The following list is a general outline of the basic duties of a Nurse Practitioner:

• Provides comprehensive medical care to VIA patients.
• Serves as a medical resource for VIA staff.
• Assists in staff training.
• Assists in education and training of healthcare professionals and public.
• Optimizes cost-effective plan of care.
• Assists in the development of policies.
• Maximizes clinical efficiency to ensure reimbursement is optimized.
• Enhances palliative and hospice care by promoting increased and earlier referrals to palliative medicine and hospice.
• Submit billing and documentation according to policy.
• May perform other duties as required.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum 1 year related experience. Experience in direct care of patients with life limiting illnesses required. Related experience may include hospice and palliative care; family medicine; internal medicine; geriatrics, oncology; home health care; medical surgical.