Bluebird Hospice

Position Qualifications

•  Registered nurse with current licensure to practice professional nursing in the state

• Graduate of National League for Nursing accredited school of nursing.

• Maintains a current CPR certification.

• Must be a licensed driver with an automobile that is insured in accordance with state or organization requirements and is in good working order.

• Minimum of two years experience, at lease one of which is in the area of public health, home care, or hospice nursing is preferred.

• Self directed and able to work with minimal supervision.

• Management experience not required.  Responsible for supervising hospice aides.

• Demonstrates excellent observation, problem solving, verbal and written communications; nursing skills per competency checklist.

• Shows ability to organize and prioritize workload independently 

Essential Job Functions/Responsibilities:

Patient Care

• Completes initial, comprehensive and ongoing assessments of patient and family to determine hospice needs.   Provides a complete physical assessment and history of current and previous illness (es).

• Provides professional nursing care by utilizing all elements of nursing process.

• Assesses and evaluates patient’s status by:

• Contributes to the plan of care

• Regularly re-evaluating patient and family/caregiver needs

• Participating in revising the plan of care as necessary

• Uses health assessment data to determine nursing diagnosis.

• Contributes to the care plan that establishes goals, based on nursing diagnosis and incorporates palliative nursing actions.  Includes the patient and the family in the planning process.

• Initiates appropriate preventive and rehabilitative nursing procedures.  Administers medications and treatments as prescribed by the physician in the physician’s plan of care.

• Counsels the patient and family in meeting nursing and related needs.

• Adhering to the organization’s documentation and care procedures and standards of personal and professional conduct.

• Provides health care instructions to the patient as appropriate per assessment and plan.

• Assists the patient and/or caregiver/family with the activities of daily living, provision and education, and facilitates the patient’s efforts toward maintaining independence for as long as possible and optional comfort care.

• Acts as Case Manager when assigned by Clinical Supervisor or designee and assumes

• responsibility to coordinate patient care for assigned caseload.

Communication

• Completes, maintains and submits accurate and relevant clinical notes regarding patient’s condition and care given.  Records pain/symptom management changes/outcomes as appropriate.

• Communicates with the physician regarding the patient’s needs and reports changes in the patient’s condition; obtains/receives physicians’ orders as required.

• Communicates with community health related persons to coordinate the care plan.

• Teaches the patient and family/caregiver self-care techniques as appropriate.  Provides medication, diet and other instructions as ordered by the physician and recognizes and utilizes opportunities for health counseling with patients and families/caregivers.  Works in concert with the interdisciplinary group.

• Provides and maintains a safe environment for the patient.

• Assists the patient and family/caregiver and other team members in providing continuity of care.

• Works in cooperation with the family/caregiver and hospice Interdisciplinary Group Members to meet the emotional needs of the patient and family/caregiver.

• Attends interdisciplinary group meetings.

Additional Duties

• Participates in on-call duties as defined by the on-call policy.

• Ensures that arrangements for equipment and other necessary items and services

• are available.

• Supervises ancillary personnel and delegates responsibilities when required.

• Assumes responsibility for personal growth and development and maintains and upgrades professional knowledge and practice skills through attendance and participation in continuing education and in-service classes.

• Fulfills the obligation of requested and/or accepted case assignments.

• Actively participates in quality assessment performance improvement teams and activities.

The above statements are intended to be a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by incumbents of this job.  The incumbents may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those stated in this description. Bluebird Hospice is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other protected characteristics.