Alpine Hospice is currently seeking Registered Nurses to join our Durango, CO office!

POSITION SUMMARY

The Hospice Nurse is a licensed R.N. who is responsible for providing patient care, supervising the care, and directing and educating Hospice Aides, LVNs/LPNs to ensure delivery of quality comfort care to patients and their families.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Essential Functions Statement(s)

• Provide initial and ongoing assessment of the impact of the terminal diagnosis on the patient's
• physical, functional, psychosocial and environmental needs and activities of daily living; including risk for pathological grief, cultural and spiritual implications, and verbal and non-verbal communication patterns.
• Implement the individualized plan of care and recommend revisions to the plan of care as necessary; including managing discomfort and providing symptom relief, providing specialized nursing skills related to palliative and end-of-life care, and consulting with and educating the patient and family regarding the disease process, self-care techniques, end-of-life care, and the processes for dealing with issues of ethical concern.
• Prepare clinical notes that demonstrate progress toward established goals.
• Coordinate patient and family services and prioritize needs with the members of the interdisciplinary team.
• Use case management approach and refer to other services as needed.
• Inform the physician and other personnel of changes in the patient's needs and outcomes of intervention.
• Determine the scope and frequency of services needed based on acuity and patient/family needs.
• Supervise LPNs/LVNs and Hospice Aides providing services to the patient according to regulatory guidelines.
• Participate in in-service programs.
• Provide specialized hospice training to other staff, family members and informal caregivers to ensure adequate care.
• Provide on-going evaluation of patient/family response to care.
• Assess the ability of the caregiver to meet the patient's immediate needs upon admission and throughout care.
• Evaluate own needs for support and use identified systems to meet the need.
• Apply specific criteria for admission and re-certification to hospice care to establish appropriate levels of care and the patient's eligibility.
• Communicate information using current process and technology available.
• Participate in the QAPI hospice performance improvement program.
• Assists with special projects and other responsibilities as assigned by Patient Care Manager.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Competency Statement(s)

• Accuracy - Ability to perform work accurately and thoroughly.
• Adaptability - Ability to adapt to change in the workplace.
• Dying and Death - Identifies those who are approaching last days of living. Communicates honestly to patient/family about approaching death and gifts of last days. Speaks of death as natural process not failure of treatment. Determines patient/family wishes regarding place of death and seeks to have death occur where desired. Assists family to give patient permission to die, to “good bye” and to bring reconciliation to family relationships.
• Ethical - Ability to demonstrate conduct conforming to a set of values and accepted standards.   Supports patient and family when treatments are refused. Provides welcoming environment for family to stay with  patient patient.
• Judgment - The ability to formulate a sound decision using the available information.
• Pain and Symptom Management - Appropriately manages patient pain and other distressing physical symptoms of disease, illness or treatment in a timely manner and achieves outcomes acceptable to the patient/family.
• Reliability - The trait of being dependable and trustworthy.
• Safety Awareness - Ability to identify and correct conditions that affect employee safety.
• Team Collaboration - Provides care with a team approach that includes patient and family as integral and essential members of the care team.

Education:   Minimum, education leading to R.N.  Bachelor's degree preferred

Computer Skills

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Internet software; Word Processing software, Healthcare software.

Certificates & Licenses

Current Registered Nurse (RN) license in state where work is performed with no restrictions.

E.O.E. 

M/F/D/V