Registered Nurse Home Care

Description

To provide quality, compassionate care to patients and families by providing wholistic care to alleviate end-of-life symptoms, provide education on disease trajectory, and aggressive support in the home and community nursing facilities.

Requirements

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

· Evaluate physical needs of the patient using a wholistic approach 

· Coordinate medication administration, education and assure accuracy 

· Evaluate the need for other services

· Communicate patient/family information to the interdisciplinary team

· Coordinate the development of the plan of care with goals defined by the patient/family and the hospice team,  updating at least every 14 days and as changes occur

· Provide nursing services according to the plan of care

· Make referral to other services as needed in coordination with the medical social worker

· Supervision of home health aide

· Teach the primary caregiver/family by role model, repetition, and reinforcement

· Provide ongoing supervision along with assessment of continuing needs for patient/family teaching

· Instruct caregivers in hospice emergency responses and changes to anticipate

· Make regular visits as determined by the IDG and as needed

· Provide the patient/family with information concerning the disease process, the regimen of treatment process,  and alternative methods of care

· Respond to questions honestly and realistically

· Help the patient/family make informed choices

· Promote independence and responsibility throughout the course of the disease

· Provide emotional support

· Actively listen to patient and family concerns

· Support individual coping mechanisms

· Provide services at the time of death

· Assist with bereavement follow-up by attending receiving or funeral services as appropriate

· Evaluate the effectiveness of nursing interventions on a regular basis and whenever changes occur in the  patient/family situation

· Communicate with physicians as needed and as required by regulations

· Maintain current knowledge and competency in providing care to terminally ill patients and their families

· Provide on-call services as scheduled

· Assist with nursing care on patient care unit as directed by supervisor

· Assist with assessing patient appropriateness for continued services

· Assist with visits to palliative care patients as needed

· Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: 

· Ability to work a flexible schedule

· Willingness to work with patients/families regardless of race, color, creed, age or sexual orientation. Must respect their beliefs and philosophy with an attitude of openness.

· Ability to work effectively with others in a supervisory role

· Strong communication skills

Minimum Qualifications: 

Education: 

§ Current NC license as a registered nurse

§ Active patient contact or completion of a nursing refresher course within the past three years

Experience: 

§ Not applicable

Licensures & Certifications: (if applicable): 

§ CPR certification

Physical Demands: 

§ Visual acuity to read written documentation and computer tasks

§ Speech and hearing skills necessary for telephone interaction and face to face contact

§ Ability to sit extended periods of time and perform administrative tasks

§ Ability to stand, bend and lift an average of 30 pounds

§ Manual dexterity with the ability to manipulate office equipment and keyboard for extended periods of time

§ Ability to walk, squat, kneel, climb, and balance

Special requirements: 

§ Must have an automobile with required insurance coverage and state driver’s license