RN, Palliative Care PRN

DescriptionJOB SUMMARY: Coordinator and facilitator for Palliative Care patients. Assists the patient, caregiver, and Palliative Care Team with the establishment of a care plan that best meets the patient's goals and needs regarding care. Responsible for clinical triage, coordination of care, patient education and teaching.

This position is a Safety Sensitive Position. The essential functions, physical demands, and mental competencies of this job require the employee maintain the ability to work in a constant state of alertness in a safe manner.

JOB SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITES:

1. Provide on-site patient care, including coordination of care with physician, other staff members and ancillary services when needed
2. Provide patient teaching on all new patients regarding, treatment information, available support services and counseling options as indicated
3. Coordinates and completes palliative care consults
4. Available as a consultant to patients, families, and staff regarding end of life issues and palliative care
5. Align resources to ensure patients meet set goals
6. Utilizes team approach to best support patients and caregivers
7. Assists with education and training of employees regarding palliative care
8. Triage telephone calls, resolve patient issues and concerns, review problems with physician and take appropriate action
9. Administer/evaluate new and existing programs/protocols
10. Maintain accurate patient charts/records and document nursing actions and functions
11. Coordinate patient care activities with homecare, hospice, or other ancillary services
12. Maintain hematology/oncology expertise at all times
13. Maintains knowledge in areas including (but not limited to):
    1. Pain Management
    2. Symptom Management
    3. Psychosocial and Spiritual Care
    4. Cultural Awareness
    5. Grief and Loss Issues
    6. End-Stage Disease Process
14. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of palliative care, hospice, biotherapy, opiates, chemotherapy and infusion therapy drugs and their potential side effects
15. May be required to travel with MD
16. Initial workup of new clinic patients, hospital consults and established patients

OTHER JOB REQUIREMENTS: This position may require additional hours outside the normal 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday work schedule and occasional travel throughout Central Arkansas.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: N/A

EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION, LICENSURE, REGISTRATION:

1. ADN or BSN from an accredited College of Nursing
2. BLS Certified
3. Valid and current Arkansas state nursing license
4. Chemotherapy Certification (required within 90 days of employment)
5. Certification for Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing (CHPN) within 1 year of employment
6. Valid Arkansas Driver's License (if travel is required)

EXPERIENCE, SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE:

1. 2-5 years' clinical experience in direct patient care preferred
2. Maintain required number of continuing education units (CEU's) as specified by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing
3. Excellent computer and other basic office equipment skills
4. Expertise in IV therapy skills and injections

REASONING ABILITY:

1. Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
2. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, or schedule form.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:

1. Must interact and communicate both verbally and in written form.
2. Must interact and exchange information regarding patients with physicians and other departmental personnel, and outside agencies on a frequent basis while respecting the confidentiality of patient information.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

1. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.
2. The employee regularly is required to stand, walk, sit, use hand to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms.
3. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

This position involves potential exposure to infectious diseases. Colleagues are offered appropriate vaccinations and safety training.

COMMENTS:

This description is intended to describe the essential job functions, the general supplemental functions and the essential requirements for the performance of the job. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and requirements of a person so classified. Other functions may be assigned and management retains the right to add or change the duties at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.