Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner
Where
Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice & Richardson Palliative Care
Sheboygan Falls, WI, United States
Description
The Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner works in collaboration with the patient’s primary care provider, specialty providers, and the hospice and palliative care teams to deliver palliative care services to patients and their care partners in a home setting. Responsibilities include symptom management, safety promotion, and aligning care with each patient’s goals to enhance quality of life. The NP performs privileged procedures and documents assessments, evaluations, consultations, and home-visit progress notes. While the primary focus is palliative care, the role is designed to remain flexible to support program growth, including cross‑training and/or providing backup coverage for hospice services within the organization. The position contributes to high‑quality, compassionate patient care; staff skill development; regulatory compliance; community engagement; and strong patient and staff satisfaction.
Essential Functions:
Performs bedside and in home clinical assessments, including history review and interpretation of radiologic and laboratory findings, and communicates findings to primary and specialty providers.
Provides expert pain and symptom management for patients with serious illnesses, integrating patient’s goals of care, theoretical knowledge, and clinical judgment in all care decisions.
Orders treatments, medications, and durable medical equipment in collaboration with the primary care and specialty care provider.
Provides hospice and palliative care services, determines patient’s wants and needs, anticipates service requirements, and coordinates it with IDG team.
Manages low volume on call responsibilities, primarily by phone and primarily for palliative care patients.
Demonstrates advanced communication skills, including shared decision making, complex conversations, and psychosocial and spiritual support.
Communicates closely with nurse navigator and follows up on phone calls using approved protocols, including assessment, patient education, crisis intervention, and health concerns.
Reports significant changes in patient condition to providers, SSRCH, and RPC team.
Helps patients find the right care at the right time. Assists with coordination of hospice admissions and palliative care discharges.
Utilizes appropriate communication channels to resolve personal and departmental issues.
Demonstrates professionalism, excellent phone etiquette, and strong customer service skills in a dynamic environment.
Prepares and maintains accurate patient records, charts, and documentation to support hospice and palliative care standards and ensures timely, accurate billing for services.
Upholds regulatory and accreditation compliance in all areas of responsibility.
Maintains schedule and productivity standards within electronic medical record.
Adheres to all confidentiality standards regarding patients, families, staff, and the organization.
Educates clinical staff, long-term care teams, patients, and families on palliative care, disease management, and prevention strategies.
Demonstrates empathy and sensitivity to the needs of patients and families and provides appropriate resources in accordance with agency policies.
Supports research efforts to advance knowledge and promote evidence-based practice and evaluates personal practice and program effectiveness.
Supports the agency’s Mission and Value Performance Standards.
Performs additional duties as required.
Professional Development
Attends Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice in-services, Interdisciplinary Care, and department meetings and other organization training.
Engages in ongoing professional development through journals, seminars, workshops, and participation in in-service and community education.
Personal Qualifications
Ability to relate to people of diverse cultures and ethnic backgrounds.
Must demonstrate maturity, initiative, tact, and good judgment in staff, patients, and family interactions.
Knowledge of medications and appropriate use of safety (personal protective) equipment.
Strong teaching and leadership skills.
Basic personal computer skills required. Clinical documentation experience preferred.
A valid driver’s license, reliable auto, and current auto insurance is required
Current cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification.
Blood-borne pathogens training
Proof of TB screening.
Dresses in a way that inspires trust and confidence in patients and families and with staff.
Education/Experience
Current Nurse Practitioner License for Wisconsin.
Prefer a minimum of one year's Nurse Practitioner experience.
Previous hospice and palliative care experience preferred.
Graduate from NLN accredited school of nursing.
Certified as an advanced hospice and palliative care nurse (ACHPN)by a nationally recognized certifying agency or required completion of the exam within 2 years of employment.
Working Conditions
Physical Requirements: Frequent ambulation; constant bending, lifting, twisting, pushing and pulling; reposition patients, lift minimum of30 pounds unassisted; bilateral manual dexterity; climb up and down stairs; Job may include sitting, standing, bending, stretching, stooping, walking, lifting 20 –50lbs and repetitive hand motion associated with keyboarding; drive to and from patient homes; able to sit for extended periods of time; manual dexterity to operate computer and other office equipment.
Mental Requirements: Read, speak, write, and understand English; cognitive processes to interpret patient condition and apply appropriate clinical processes in complex situations; ability to add, subtract, multiply, divide and work with fractions; ability to drive and locate patient homes; functions independently without supervision while working in collaboration with the Interdisciplinary Group.
Working/Environmental Conditions: Fast-paced changing environment, with multiple directives from several disciplines; requires work in patient homes with no control over environmental conditions. Potentially unsafe and unsanitary home environments. Potential travel in inclement weather. Work assigned throughout the agencies clinical program setting.
Machines, Equipment, Tools Used: Including but not limited to; automobile; telephone; smart phone; computer, laptop, or tablet; fax machine.
Exposures: Anticipated exposure to blood, other body fluids or other potentially infectious materials. Exposure to communicable diseases or infections. Anticipated exposure to hazardous equipment, assorted chemicals, gases/vapors, and other pollutants.
Personal Protective Equipment Required: Assorted gloves; assorted masks, protective eyewear; impervious gowns; impervious aprons; needleless systems as appropriate.
Other Personal Qualifications:
Leadership qualities
Positive interpersonal relationships
Self-directed
Ability to handle stressful situations
Sensitive to needs of others without being judgmental
Ability to emphasize the importance of quality rather than quantity of life, and assist patients and family to live as fully as possible
Apply
Attn: Rebecca Sharpe
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (920) 467-7942