Hospice Registered Nurse

Job Description

Job Description

Give your passion a purpose join our amazing team!

Lower Cape Fear LifeCare, based in Wilmington, NC, is an award-winning, mission-driven nonprofit hospice and palliative care provider with a 40-year history of caring for individuals and families in southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina.

The agency provides care to patients in private residences, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities, and its own three inpatient hospice care centers.

We also offer grief care for adults and children; education and outreach to the community and healthcare partners; and resources, education, and support to caregivers.

If you’re looking to make a real difference in the lives of people and families in your community by providing team-focused care, all while living in a region steeped in scenic and historic beauty, rich in cultural events, and outstanding outdoor recreation, we want to hear from you!

What sets us apart in team member benefits verses our competitors :

• Benefits that start fast : Health, dental, and vision benefit coverage starts first of the month following 30 days of eligible employment.
• Work-life balance support, with full time team members earning 27 paid days off in their first year.
• Included Health, a full-service concierge healthcare program, offering unlimited virtual doctor visits and mental health services at no cost.
• A generous tuition reimbursement program of up to $5,000 a year to further your education and grow your career.
• Company paid life and long-term disability insurance.
• 403(b) Retirement Plan with a 50% employer match on the first 4% contributed and best of all you’re fully vested after only three years

Schedule :

• After your orientation period - your typical schedule will be Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, but based on patient needs and emergencies, flexibility may be required to ensure quality care and comfort
• While there is a dedicated on-call team, you will rotate being backup on-call with your team.

Caseloads and Visits :

Working as a registered nurse, our goal is to have an average caseload of 13-15 patients. Depending on referral patterns, this can be higher or lower.

We can see fluctuations of up to 16-18 patients at times. Leadership has bi-weekly staffing meetings to assess hiring needs to help us respond to an increased census as quickly as possible.

Our goal is to have a minimum of 20 visits per week. This averages out to 4-5 visits a day, but this is also dependent upon patient needs, their location, and several other factors.

Because of the nature of end-of-life care, a patient’s needs can change rapidly. You will have the flexibility to move visits from one day to another to best suit your patients within regulatory guidelines.

Visits typically take 45 minutes to 1 hour, but if there is active symptom management, visits may take longer to ensure comfort.

What you’ll be doing :

You’ll see your patients wherever they consider home (personal residence, assisted living facilities, skilled nursing facilities).

We provide quality care regardless of circumstance to a variety of different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

• You’ll need to be comfortable training the caregivers to care for their loved one. This might include things like demonstrating wound care, how to administer medications, how to provide personal care, and what to expect at end-of-life.
• Expect to spend extended time periods in your car, driving between patients, documenting, and coordinating care. You’ll use your own personal vehicle, and mileage driven between patient visits is reimbursable.
• Coordination of care between your patient’s community medical provider, hospice provider, and other disciplines to provide updates, obtain new orders, takes place in between visits.
• Patients are assigned by your director based on your team’s needs determined by acuity, geography, and many other factors.
• Real-time documentation in patient’s home; medications and supplies are ordered online.
• Self-scheduling based on patient’s needs and acuity, but you’ll also need flexibility to assist your team making visits as needed to provide excellent patient care.
• You will be part of an Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) consisting of a physician, nurse practitioner, registered nurse, medical social worker, chaplain, and a CNA.

Volunteers are also available to assist in patient’s needs. The team meets every two weeks to discuss patient eligibility.

Job Specifications

1. Education : Graduate of an approved school of nursing, either through an AD, Diploma or BSN program.

2. Licensure / Certifications : Current license to practice professional nursing in the State of North Carolina.

3. Experience : Two years experience. Prefer Home Care or Hospice or related oncology experience.