Hospice Care Registered Nurse

Responsibilities

• Conduct pre‑admission screening and initial nursing health assessment on new patients; assess body systems (cardiac, vascular, neurological, gastrointestinal, etc.) and develop nursing plan of care and goals based on patient needs.
• Provide nursing care to patients, including supervising diet, medication, activity level, home safety, and activities of daily living.
• Evaluate the provision of nursing care, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, nutrition counseling, respiratory therapy, and contracting agency nurses.
• Train and evaluate home health aides, homemakers, and personal care workers in the patient’s home; recommend personnel changes to hospice administration as necessary.
• Determine the need for, and recommend rental or purchase of, medical equipment and/or supplies for patients.
• Provide ongoing evaluation of equipment for defects, repairs, or additional needs.
• Recommend to the Hospice Interdisciplinary Group (IDG) when therapy services are warranted, request physician orders for changes in the plan of care, report and consult regarding patient status, and participate in orientation and in‑service training both within and outside the hospice.
• Participate in on‑call coverage on a rotating basis; serve as liaison to maintain hospice patients’ Plan of Care while inpatient and refer major or recurrent problems to the supervising nurse.
• Participate in the ongoing Quality Improvement Program.
• Perform related duties as required; all responsibilities are essential functions under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Qualifications

• Graduate from an accredited School of Nursing.
• Bachelor’s degree in nursing preferred.
• Must be enrolled in an accredited BSN program within two (2) years and obtain a BSN degree within five (5) years of the job entry date.
• Current license to practice as a Registered Professional Nurse in New York State, plus specialized certifications as needed.
• 2 + years of nursing experience (med/surg, hospice, home care preferred).
• Minimum one (1) year of experience in acute care – med/surg strongly preferred.
• Experience in community health, hospice, and home care preferred.
• This is a field position.

Physical Demands

Physical demands are constant – standing and walking; frequent – stooping, bending, stretching, lifting, pulling, pushing, and turning (lifting objects from 10 lb to 150 lb and pushing objects up to 200 lb); occasional – sitting; lifting with assistance objects greater than 150 lb. Performs related duties as required.