Covenant Health

Registered Nurse, HomeCare 

Full Time, 80 Hours Per Pay Period, Variable Shifts

Homecare and Hospice Overview: 

Covenant Health HomeCare and Hospice is the area’s largest locally owned home health and hospice provider, with one of the largest rehabilitation departments in East Tennessee. Our HomeCare and Hospice services are part of Covenant Health, East Tennessee’s largest nonprofit health system and a Becker’s “Top 150 Places to Work in Healthcare.” Covenant Health includes nine hospitals and nearly 150 service locations, offering employees a comprehensive benefits package with tuition reimbursement, student loan assistance, certification bonuses, and leadership development programs. 

Position Summary:

Provides professional nursing care to an assigned group of homebound patients; coordinates care planning with other disciplines. The RN-Home Health reports to the assigned Nursing Clinical Supervisor.

• Reviews patients records, determines home care needs including OASIS assessments at appropriate time points, develops care and discharge plans, revising as necessary, coordinates and refers other services and participates in case conferences with other disciplines.
• Performs and records cardiovascular assessments, pulmonary assessments, neurological assessments, GI assessments, skin assessments, intake and output assessments, and pain assessments.
• Performs treatment procedures which include but are not limited to insertion of nasogastric/gastrostomy tube, replacement of gastrostomy tube, giving medications by N/G tube, gastrostomy tube and JeJunostomy tubes, providing teaching, training for patient/caregiver on care of feeding tube, insertion of weighted feeding tube, and provides care for patients with bolus tube feeding method and tube feeding per enteral pump.
• Performs intravenous procedures such as inserting peripheral IV line, calculates and maintains correct rate if IV infusion, labels and changes tubing, and performs venipuncture. Access central lines.
• Provides colostomy care, tracheostomy care, and suctioning.
• Administers IM and sub-q medications, administers medications through IV push, and IV piggyback per HomeCare Policy. Clearly documents administration of medications. Checks for allergies and MD orders before administering medications.
• Properly uses and/or maintains equipment such as infusion pumps, ventilators, manual resuscitators.
• Received instruction and demonstrates competency in declotting VAD’s in the home.
• Removes and provides care for PICC lines.
• Initiates appropriate preventive and rehabilitative nursing procedures and regularly re-evaluates patient needs.
• Act as liaison between MD and patient/family. Communicates to MD, orders received and processed and communicated to family. Informing the MD and other staff of changes in the patient’s needs.
• Completes MD orders and sends to MD for signature in a timely manner.
• Prepares and submits daily documentation, contacts MD, contact note, mileage, etc.
• Has working knowledge of Medicare guidelines, and performs in compliance with such guidelines.
• Provides patient/family education and counseling regarding the disease process, self-care techniques and prevention strategies. Promotes patient/family independence.
• Makes appropriate referrals.
• Follows appropriate admission, discharge, on-call, and death procedure as outlined by Covenant HomeCare policy.
• Performs basic infection control techniques according to Covenant HomeCare policy; examples are proper hand-washing, glove usage, appropriate handling and disposing of wastes, body fluids, contaminated trash, and needles, proper handling of soiled or contaminated linens or garments, cleaning all equipment used in the home properly.
• Checks schedule and calls patients to provide patients with arrival times.
• Supervises LPNs and Home Health Aides providing services. Assists in orienting new employees.
• Demonstrates knowledge and competency in providing for age-specific needs of the population served.
• Demonstrates ability to perform skills on annual skills check list.
• Acts as Case Manager when assigned by Clinical Supervisor and assumes responsibility to coordinate patient care for assigned caseload.
• Local travel required.
• Follows policies, procedures, and safety standards. Completes required education assignments annually. Works toward achieving goals and objectives, and participates in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Education:           

Graduation from an accredited school of nursing.

Minimum Experience:         

One (1) year of professional experience in hospital or prior home health experience required.

Licensure Requirement:      

Must have and maintain State of Tennessee RN license. CPR is required. Employee must have a valid Tennessee driver’s license Class D and state mandated minimum insurance coverage. Driving record must meet Covenant Health minimum standards at the date of hire and throughout employment tenure.