Reports To: Palliative Care Office Manager/ Palliative Care Provider
Position Overview: The Palliative Care RN/LPN is a member of a strong interdisciplinary approach to patient care. The person in this position will participate with the palliative care team, which is designed to help the medically complex and/or chronically ill patients and family members make informed medical decisions. In collaboration with the medical staff and nursing staff, the Palliative Care Nurse monitors the clinical care of patients and provides support to improve patient care and patient outcomes. Incorporated within each of these role functions, the Palliative Care Nurse is a professional role model, patient advocate, educator and champion for effective patient pain and symptom control.
Qualifications:
1. Graduate of accredited nursing program.
2. Licensed RN or LPN in the State of Alabama.
3. One (1) year clinical experience in nursing or completion of Agency preceptor program.
4. Ability to travel in order to accomplish all duties as outlined in job description.
5. Professional appearance and conduct.
6. Must possess strong communication, organizational, and presentation skills.
7. Able to receive direction and independently follow tasks through with minimal supervision.
8. Ability to access and operate computer systems, including creation of documents, entering data, reading reports, email, etc
9. Detail oriented, able to multi-task, and remain flexible with assignments
10. Maintains professional integrity throughout performance of all job duties.
11. Able to adhere to the practice of confidentiality regarding patients, families, staff and the agency
12. Able to act in a kind, decent, respectful manner at all times.
13. Must be able to recognize, support and adhere to all Ivy Creek Healthcare/Ivy Creek Palliative Care policies and procedures.
14. Able to consistently uphold attendance standards
ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
1. The Palliative Care nurse will assist the Provider in providing quality, direct palliative care to patients living with serious illness, focusing on relief of symptoms and treatment
a. In this role, the successful candidate Practices in accordance with the Alabama Board of Nursing scope and standards of nursing practice
b. Uses his/her clinical expertise to plan the delivery of safe, therapeutic, population-specific patient care through assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation
c. With the patient and family central to the care, incorporates the unique characteristics and needs of each patient and family member into the care delivery process
d. Provides leadership to the team by orienting and mentoring team members to ensure that quality care is delivered with compassion, dignity, respect, and efficiency
e. Operates as “the nurse” of the provider – assisting the provider with any and all of the Provider’s duties including traveling with Provider and/or traveling at the direction of the Provider into patient homes
2. Assists with community marketing and education related to promotion of palliative care services.
3. Provides administrative support including telephonic follow up, working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to promote wellness and optimize patient outcomes, and data collection
4. Performs other duties as assigned
MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
· Ability to communicate and understand and carry out detailed oral and written instructions.
· Must be organized and detail oriented.
· Ability to walk and stand frequently.
· Interpersonal skills required to instruct patients and their families, as well as, professional interaction with a variety of hospital/professional personnel.
· Knowledge of patient rights and responsibilities.
· Knowledge of Ivy Creek Palliative services and availability.
· Knowledge of Ivy Creek Healthcare policies and procedures, fire, safety, disaster plans and infection control policies.
· Must possess a current Driver’s License and current automobile insurance as personal car use may be required. Work mileage will be paid to employee at company rate. All Ivy Creek Policies apply when in personal vehicles being used for company business ie no smoking/vaping, car must be neat and clean in appearance without any offensive stickers, etc.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
· Works in clean, air-conditioned environment inside when within the office, protected from weather conditions. May be subject to all types of environments and weather when traveling to/from patient visits and within patient’s place of residence.
· Frequent telephone activity.
· Work requires standing and walking frequently.
· Work requires traveling throughout the county and surrounding counties for Palliative home visits as well as accompanying Provider on any home visits being made on behalf of any entity in Ivy Creek Healthcare.
· Work may require listening and/or speaking with individuals and groups.
· Work requires hearing ability and visual acuity.
· Subject to a fast paced, high stressed routine.
· Possible bio-hazard exposure to communicable diseases.
· Minimal exposure to infectious disease while performing job related tasks.
· Minimal exposure to radiation while performing job related tasks.
· Normal patient care environment with little exposure to excessive noise, dust or temperature – unless in patient homes where environment is not under Ivy Creek Healthcare control.
· May be subject to verbal abuse by patients and family.
· Personal protective equipment is provided and available for protection of personnel.
· Office hours of the Palliative Care Clinic is 8a – 4:30p unless it is a holiday. Employees are expected to arrive no later than 8a and may need to work past the 4:30p time frame as needed for patient care.
IVY CREEK
PALLIATIVE CARE NURSE