Clinical Nurse (RN) - Hospice

Clinical Nurse (RN) - Hospice

The Hospice Registered Nurse (RN) utilizes the nursing process to provide compassionate, specialized end-of-life care for terminally ill patients, focusing on quality of life, pain management, symptom control, comfort care and dignity rather than curative treatment. Working with an interdisciplinary team (IDT), the Hospice RN creates a patient-centered plan of care, educates caregivers, and offers emotional support to patients and families. The Hospice RN supports patients and their families in homes, skilled nursing facilities, hospital based inpatient units, or hospice centers.

Responsibilities and Essential Job Functions

• Coordinates care for hospice patients, often with complex conditions, by assessing needs, creating individualized plans of care, advocating and linking with available resources ensuring that comprehensive support is provided to meet the hospice patient's unique health and social goals.
• Acts as the central point of contact with the Interdisciplinary Team and supporting services to ensure patients are connected with the right services and understand the plan of care.
• Develops, implements and evaluates plan of care recognizing change in patient condition and adapts the plan as needed to ensure care is consistent with the patient's evolving needs and wishes.
• Utilizes broad knowledge of the standards for end-of-life care
• Supports compassionate care and understanding of patients' and families' physical and emotional needs.
• Assesses patient's/family's readiness to learn, organizes and evaluates patient and caregiver understanding and modifies approach as necessary.
• Facilitates clear and effective dialogue between patients and other team members; explains complex medical topics to patients and loved ones.
• Performs comprehensive and ongoing assessments.
• Anticipates and intervenes in an appropriate and timely manner when there are concerns related to patient and/or staff safety.
• Provides direct patient care needs including but not limited to effective pain and symptom management, safe medication management and comfort/personal care.
• Utilizes observation skills to recognize changes in patients who may be unable to communicate
• Demonstrates strong oral communication skills to direct other members of the health care team and deliver reports to physicians and other providers.
• Demonstrates well-developed interpersonal skills to interact positively with patients and family members
• Attentive to detail to maintain accurate patient records
• Delegates appropriately according to task situation, level of expertise and functions as an independent and supportive team member.
• Consistently role models individualized therapeutic communication based upon patient, caregiver and family psychosocial, spiritual and cultural needs.
• Acts professionally and appropriately when interacting with patients, caregivers, family members, clinical and leadership colleagues
• Adheres to policies related to medication safety and medication management considerations.
• Takes a leadership role in building and maintaining an environment where all team members thrive.
• Demonstrates efficient computer skills, including electronic medical record software, email and other software platforms as provided and intended for use by the health system for all functions related to patient care delivery, mandatory programs/competencies, policies and procedures.
• Seeks out additional learning experiences within practice area to include but not be limited to department specific certifications, consultation with experts, team collaboration, in services and huddles.
• Consistently meets work schedule.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Must be able to perform the professional, clinical and or technical competencies of the assigned unit or department.
• These statements are intended to describe the essential functions of the job and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities. Skills and duties may vary dependent upon your department or unit. Other duties may be assigned as required.

Required Education and Experience

• Associate Degree Nursing
• Previous Healthcare Experience

Preferred Education and Experience

• Bachelor Degree Nursing
• 1 or more years of Hospice Experience

Required Licensure and Certification

• Licensed Registered Nurse (LRN) - Single State - State Board of Nursing upon Hire OR
• Licensed Registered Nurse (LRN) - Multi-State - State Board of Nursing
• CPR/ AED/ BLS - Other BLS within 14 days
• Reference checks
• Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) Screening
• Valid, unrestricted driver's license, Kansas Class C or equivalent. MVR results must be in compliance with Health System Safe Driving Program Policy. Candidate must have access to reliable, personal transportation. Vehicle must carry insurance with at least the minimum automobile liability insurance levels required by the state(s) of operation.

The University of Kansas Health System