JOB DESCRIPTION
The nurse practitioner is a member of the core interdisciplinary group whose primary function is to provide consultation in palliative care, symptom management and supportive care to meet the needs of the seriously ill patient and family, as requested by the referring physician. The nurse practitioner will work with the interdisciplinary group who implement the plan of care.
Facilitate clarification of patient and family goals of care.
Facilitate access to appropriate support models of care (i.e., hospice, rehabilitation, on-going aggressive treatment).
Assist with diagnosis, treatment and management of acute and chronic health conditions.
Educate facility staff, co-workers and the community on all aspects of palliative care and the services provided by VITAS Palliative Care.
Attend, participate, and lead (when applicable) internal VITAS Palliative Care s team meetings.
Consult with the referring physician, the acute care team and other involved providers to contribute to the patient s plan of care.
Prepare and maintain accurate patient records, charts and documents to support the medical practice and reimbursement for services provided.
Prescribe medications including controlled substances to the extent delegated and licensed and after collaboration with palliative care and referring physician.
Order diagnostics / treatments as needed after collaboration with palliative care and referring physicians.
Interpret, evaluate and communicate diagnostic findings to the appropriate parties.
Collaborate with and supervise palliative care team members, when applicable.
Assist in development of clinical practice guidelines / standards in support of quality palliative care as requested by supervisor.
Utilize a customer service approach in all interactions with VITAS customers.
Adhere to the practice of confidentiality regarding patients, families, staff and the organization.
Participate in on-call rotation as needed.
Other duties as requested by supervisor.
Experience:
Minimum five years nursing experience; clinical nursing care in oncology, hospice, geriatrics, intensive care preferred.
Knowledge of the interdisciplinary team concept.
Experience in patient education, care planning and management of pain and other symptoms for patients with advanced, serious illness is desired.
Ability to communicate tactfully, verbally and in writing with department heads, managers, coworkers and vendors to resolve problems and negotiate resolutions.
Working knowledge of computers, internet access, and the ability to navigate within an automated system as well as a variety of software packages such as Outlook, Excel and Word.
