Registered Nurse Triage Nurse - Hospice

About the Role

The RN Triage Nurse in the Hospice schedule works after-hours, planning and delivering care to patients using the nursing process of assessment, planning, interventions, implementation, and evaluation. This role involves effective interaction with patients, families, caregivers, and other interdisciplinary team members while maintaining standards of professional nursing and clinical competency.

Responsibilities

• Triage issues and visit terminally ill patients and families as needed, utilizing teaching, assessment, and intervention skills to provide comfort care and maximize quality of life.
• Assist patients, family members, or other clients with concern and empathy; respect confidentiality and privacy; and communicate courteously and respectfully.
• Provide direct care to patients as prescribed in the Plan of Care to maintain the highest level of comfort and quality of life, assuming primary responsibility for case management.
• Instruct patients and caregivers on medication administration, side effect recognition, personal care, oral hygiene, lifting, moving, ambulation, and preparation for events preceding death.
• Document accurate and ongoing patient assessments via electronic medical record (EMR) software, including nursing interventions, patient responses, needs, capabilities, limitations, and progress toward goals.
• Ensure documentation reflects appropriate patient/significant other teaching and understanding of instructions in the medical record.
• Be available, when possible, to meet a patient/family's need for continuous care during a crisis.
• Minimize non-productive time and fill slow periods with activities as needed by the organization.
• Supervise and maintain ongoing effective communication with other hospice personnel involved in patient care, including formal and informal team meetings.
• Perform patient intakes, admissions, and information visits as needed, including explaining the hospice benefit/Medicare, completing physical assessments, and handling all pertinent paperwork and consents.
• Communicate new patient status to the hospice team.
• Perform other duties as assigned, consistent with skills, training, and the agency's mission and goals.
• Orient, instruct, and educate assigned personnel.
• Adhere to and support team members in exhibiting organizational values of integrity, community, compassion, and dedication.
• Adhere to organizational and department-specific safety, confidentiality, values, policies, and standards.

Requirements

• Graduation from a qualified, nationally-accredited nursing program.
• Three (3) years of related experience, preferably in an emergency room or primary care setting.
• Additional education or experience with common medications used in primary care is desirable.
• Current RN licensure permitting work in the State of Arizona.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required.
• Fingerprint Card required within 3 months of hire.

Skills

• Knowledge of direct patient care and emergency care procedures, tools, and responses to ensure optimal patient care.
• Knowledge of exam indicators, contraindications, and patient preparation.
• Skill in communicating clearly and concisely with staff involved in patient care and physicians to ensure proper care.
• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to complete routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to listen and accurately interpret others' communication or instructions to take appropriate action.
• Ability to speak and communicate effectively.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions and deal with abstract and concrete variables.
• Familiarity with triage tools such as Barton Schmitt Thompson is a plus.
• Skill in utilizing an electronic medical record (EMR).