Hospice Registered Nurse (RN)

Work Where You Matter!

At St. Croix Hospice we guide patients and families through the end-of-life journey. Through compassionate care, we focus on our patient’s quality of life, empowering them to make the most of their time with dignity, comfort and respect. If you are ready to be part of an extraordinary team of caregivers, then come work where you matter.

Registered Nurse

Position Overview

The Registered Nurse is experienced in nursing and provides day-to-day care for hospice patients based on their specific Plan of Care under the direction of the patient’s RN Case Manager with a focus on providing comfort and quality of life. The Registered Nurse provides hospice patient care, manages treatment, administers medications, and maintains patient records.

Essential Functions and Skills Patient Care

• Performs all duties and responsibilities in accordance with the Nurse Practice Act and in accordance with basic principles and guidelines of professional nursing.
• Completes initial and ongoing comprehensive assessment of patient and family to determine hospice needs. Provides a complete physical assessment of all current and previous health history.
• Evaluates patient status by:
  • Writing and initiating Plan of Care.
  • Regularly re-evaluating patient and family/caregiver needs.
  • Participating in Plan of Care revision as necessary.
• Uses health assessment data to determine nursing diagnosis.
• Develops a plan of care that establishes goals, based on nursing diagnosis, and incorporates palliative nursing actions. Includes patient and family in the planning process.
• Initiates appropriate preventive and rehabilitative nursing procedures. Administers medications and treatments as prescribed and determined by the physician’s plan of care.
• Provides health care instructions to the patient as appropriate per assessment and plan. Completes, submits, and maintains accurate and relevant clinical notes regarding patient’s condition and care given. Records pain/symptom management and changes/outcomes as appropriate.
• Communicates with the physician regarding patient needs and reports changes in patient condition; obtains/receives physician orders as required.
• Assists the patient with the activities of daily living and facilitates the patient’s efforts toward self- sufficiency and optional comfort care.
• Provides and maintains a safe environment for the patient.
• Counsels and works in cooperation with the family/caregiver and hospice interdisciplinary group to meet the emotional needs of the patient and family/caregiver.
• Teaches the patient and family/caregiver self-care techniques as appropriate. Provides medication, diet and other instructions as ordered by the physician. Recognizes and utilizes opportunities for health counseling with patients and families/caregivers. Works in concert with an interdisciplinary care team.
• Coordinates Plan of Care with relevant community health partners.
• Ensure arrangements for equipment and other necessary items and services are available.
• Responsible for maintaining compliance with all HIPAA regulations and requirements. Treats all patient information as confidential and utilizes protected health information on a minimum necessary basis.

Additional Duties

• Participate in on-call duties per policy.
• Attend interdisciplinary group meetings.
• Supervise and delegate tasks to ancillary personnel as needed.
• Engage in continuing education and professional development.
• Contribute to quality assessment and performance improvement activities.
• Maintain a calm and professional demeanor in patient homes.
• Perform other duties as assigned.