Nurse Practitioner

About the role

At St. Croix Hospice we guide patients and families through the end-of-life journey. Through compassionate care, we focus on our patient’s quality of life, empowering them to make the most of their time with dignity, comfort and respect. The Nurse Practitioner (NP) is a registered professional nurse with advanced graduate education and clinical training who provides comprehensive hospice services under the supervision of a collaborating hospice physician.

Responsibilities

• Evaluates and assesses the patient’s health history and diagnosis by collaborating with patient, their family and other healthcare practitioners.
• Directs and develops each hospice patient’s Plan of Care including prescribing medication and/or treatment, managing the treatment plan and medical care of the patient.
• Visits hospice patients, completes physical and face-to-face assessments, and evaluates hospice eligibility as assigned in consultation with the hospice interdisciplinary team.
• Directs the Plan of Care to meet the unique needs of each individual hospice patient and their family in collaboration with the other members of the patient’s hospice care team.

Patient Care

• Provides medical care and symptom management for terminally ill patients in compliance with state regulations and physician supervision.
• Conducts comprehensive history and physical examinations, orders/interprets diagnostic tests, and documents findings.
• Develops individualized care plans, prescribes medications/treatments, coordinates referrals, and consults as needed.
• Completes required face-to-face assessments for hospice recertification and provides clinical eligibility information to the medical director.
• Ensures effective symptom control through collaboration with the interdisciplinary team.
• Develops and follows treatment protocols, consulting the physician when care deviates from standard practice.

Communication

• Collaborates with the interdisciplinary team to develop, review, and update care plans.
• Consults with attending physicians, hospice medical directors, and other healthcare professionals regarding patient eligibility and ongoing care.
• Attends and participates in interdisciplinary meetings and maintains accurate medical documentation.
• Educates and supports patients, families, and caregivers on medical, psychological, and spiritual issues related to end-of-life care.
• Facilitates continuity of care and serves as a nursing resource within the community.
• Builds and maintains relationships with staff and referral sources to support program growth.

Additional Responsibilities

• Ensures compliance with Medicare, Medicaid, and state/federal hospice regulations.
• Participates in quality improvement initiatives and ongoing professional development.
• Adheres to HIPAA regulations, maintaining patient confidentiality.
• Demonstrates knowledge in end-of-life care and counseling.
• Completes additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Must have current Nurse Practitioner (NP) license in the state(s) of practice.
• Degree from an accredited school of nursing and Nurse Practitioner program required.
• Minimum two years RN experience.
• Ability to pass background, consumer report and drug test.
• Valid State Driver’s License, access to an automobile in good working order, automobile insurance in accordance with state and organizational requirements, and an acceptable driving record required.

Preferred

• Certification in a specialist area preferred; (e.g., Hospice and Palliative Nursing (CHPN), Pediatrics, or Geriatrics)
• Minimum of one year Nurse Practitioner experience and a minimum of one year hospice or palliative care experience.

Physical Requirements

The physical requirements described are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential responsibilities of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made.

• Pushing/Pulling and Lifting/carrying up to 30 pounds. Occasionally up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to adapt to a variety of work conditions to ensure the highest quality of patient care in a home setting.