Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Patient Care & Crisis Response
· Respond promptly to after-hours hospice calls from patients, families, caregivers, and facilities.
· Perform skilled nursing assessments in patient homes and facilities during overnight hours.
· Provide in-person intervention for pain crises, symptom exacerbations, respiratory distress, agitation, anxiety, active dying, falls, or other urgent clinical concerns.
· Evaluate when a phone intervention is appropriate versus when an in-person visit is clinically necessary.
· Deliver compassionate end-of-life care and emotional support to patients and families.
· Administer and/or educate caregivers regarding medications, comfort measures, and symptom management.
· Provide crisis management aimed at preventing unnecessary ER visits and hospitalizations whenever appropriate.
Death Visits & Pronouncements
· Respond to patient deaths promptly and professionally.
· Complete nursing components related to patient deaths, including:
· Pronouncement procedures per state regulations and agency policy
· Family support and emotional care
· Notification of physician, funeral home, and interdisciplinary team
· Support families with dignity, compassion, and professionalism during post-mortem care.
Admissions & Intake Responsibilities
· Complete after-hours hospice admissions as needed.
· Perform comprehensive nursing assessments and admission documentation.
· Educate patients and families regarding hospice philosophy, services, medications, and plan of care.
· Initiate care plans and coordinate necessary durable medical equipment, medications, and supplies.
· Ensure smooth transition of patients into hospice services during overnight and after-hours periods.
· Manage weekend/overnight phone triage for hospice patients and caregivers.
· Use sound nursing judgment to determine urgency and appropriate response level.
· Document all calls, interventions, assessments, and outcomes accurately and thoroughly.
· Complete timely, accurate electronic medical record documentation.
· Ensure all nursing notes, death visit notes, triage communications, and interventions meet regulatory and agency standards.