Position Overview

This position works in collaboration with the Medical Directors and patient’s attending physician to deliver palliative care and hospice medical care services to patients. The nurse practitioner provides palliative care consultations in inpatient and outpatient settings, including the hospital, long term care facilities and home settings and may occasionally serve as a hospice patient’s attending medical provider at the patient’s request. The nurse practitioner is responsible for developing and implementing a medical plan of care in accordance with the patient’s express wishes and in full compliance with all regulatory requirements including the Nurse Practice Act and agency policy, procedures, and standards of care. The Nurse Practitioner will assist with program development, provide education in hospice and palliative and serve as a resource to the Interdisciplinary Team. The nurse practitioner covers medical staff on call for hospice and palliative care as assigned.

Essential Job Functions

• Provides consultation with inpatient and outpatient referrals as requested. Reviews medical chart, talks with health care staff, visits with patients and caregivers. Performs comprehensive assessment including physical, emotional, cultural, social and spiritual to identify symptom issues, establish goals of care and to identify and implement treatment plan. Establishes a therapeutic relationship with the patient and caregiver that includes providing emotional support and teaching. May prescribe or recommend medications to alleviate pain and other distressing symptoms, provide guidance and counseling to patients and families regarding managing their chronic, life-limiting illness throughout the disease continuum from diagnosis into bereavement for survivors.
• Documents in patient medical record in accordance with federal and state regulatory requirements, standards of practice and organizational policy.
• Acts in a professional manner to collaborate with physicians, other health care providers, and interdisciplinary team members and makes timely reports of pertinent information to appropriate health care professionals.
• May serve as hospice patient’s attending physician if the patient does not have a medical provider and requests that the nurse practitioner serve as their hospice attending physician.
• Serves as a resource to the Interdisciplinary team and may make home visits at the direction of the Hospice Medical Director in order to assess and recommend changes to the patient’s plan of care. May provide medical orders if the patient’s attending physician is not available.
• Consults and recommends referrals to other health care providers in the specialty area indicated by patient’s health care needs.
• Maintains confidentiality of patients and their families, co-workers, volunteers, and the organization at all times.
• Adheres to the organization’s Standards of Conduct and HIPAA regulations.
• Reports any potential misconduct or violation of the organization’s Standards of Conduct, HIPAA regulations, or federal or state laws and regulations.
  

Non-essential Job Functions

• Participates in marketing service to medical professionals.
• Participates in agency medical staff on-call schedule to ensure medical coverage 24/7 and provides medical orders as necessary.
• Participates in program integrity and performance improvement activities of the agency.
• Other duties as assigned to promote the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization.