Registered Nurse (RN) Job Description
Job description
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
1. Performs all duties and responsibilities in accordance with the Nurse Practice Act and in accordance with basic principles and guidelines of professional nurses.
2. Performs an initial, comprehensive, and ongoing comprehensive assessment of patient and family to determine hospice needs.
3. Provides a complete physical assessment and history, including symptom and pain management, of current and previous illnesses.
4. Responsible for initiating reviewing and revising each patient’s plan of care, as assigned.
5. Completes visit documentation in accordance with the Home Health Medicare Benefit guidelines and regulations.
6. Provides education regarding disease process, death and dying with each scheduled visit.
7. Contacts patient and / or family 24- hours prior to visit to remind or schedule the visit.
8. Admits new patients to hospice as assigned and initiate the plan of care within five (5) days of admission.
9. Initiates appropriate preventive and rehabilitative nursing procedures.
10. Administers medications and treatments as prescribed by the physician in the physician’s plan of care.
11. Provides safety and emergency preparedness education at each visit.
12. Practices and teaches patients / families infection control precautions.
13. Responsible for ordering and re-ordering medications.
14. Assesses and monitors the need for durable medical equipment and orders as needed.
15. Assists the patient with activities of daily living and facilitates the patient’s efforts toward self-sufficiency and optimal comfort care.
16. Coordinates patient care with interdisciplinary team that promotes continuity of care.
17. Responsible for direct supervision of hospice aides.
18. Attends Interdisciplinary team meetings and completes interdisciplinary notes prior to team meeting.
19. Takes evening and / or weekend On-Call if needed and as designated.
20. Responsible for working one major and one minor holiday on-call shift annually.
21. Responsible for attending deaths, pronouncing deaths and completion of all paperwork for coroner’s office.
22. Practices collaboration of care with skilled nursing facilities, primary care physician, patient, and family with each visit or significant change in patient status.
23. Participates in agency safety, wound care, or infection control committee.
24. Completes re-certification note and LCD for each re-certification period.
25. Responsible for oversight of medication disposal upon death in accordance with state and federal regulations.
26. Completion of Hospice Aide competency at 90-days and annually, adhering to those items which must be demonstrated.
27. Assesses caregiver ability to care for patients and recommends residency setting changes.
28. Assesses patients for level of care change needs and recommends changes to the hospice Medical Director.
29. Completes orders and all necessary documents for level of care changes.
30. Reports ethical situations for review
31. Provides and documents supervisory visits of hospice aide every fourteen (14) days, ensuring Home Health Aide plan of care is conducive to patient needs and followed through.
32. Adheres to agency complaint process and provide in writing any complaints received by patients/families or external customers.
33. 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-services.
34. Makes patient visits outside of assigned territory as assigned by Clinical Supervisor/Clinical Director.
35. Provides hours of availability each work day to assist with admissions or additional patient visits.
36. Complies with all Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements in accordance with federal, state, and organizational policies.
REQUIRED SKILLS, ABILITIES AND KNOWLEDGE:
1. Assess, evaluate, and respond to patient situations quickly, providing