Nurse Practitioner Hospice

Interim Healthcare is a leading Regional Provider of Home Health Services based in Texas. Our company has grown to over 40 offices in Texas and New Mexico.

At Interim Healthcare the relationships we have with each other and our patients are the foundation of the strong culture we have built.

We believe in placing the patient's interests at the heart of everything we do and that’s what makes our job so rewarding.

General Purpose:

To supplement hospice physician/Nurse Practitioner/Nurse Practitioner services and/or in the absence of the Hospice Medical Director, may act as the physician/Nurse Practitioner representative of the Interdisciplinary Group (IDG), providing medical direction, including the care provided in the home, general inpatient care, emergency services and respite care related to the terminal condition. May be responsible for the hospice patient’s medical care and act as the primary medical resource to the IDG, providing medical coverage and support during and after normal business hours, as well as making visits to patients for medical assessment and intervention whether in a facility or the home and completing required Face-to-Face visits.

Essential Functions:

• Provides oversight of physician/Nurse Practitioner/Nurse Practitioner services to hospice patients by complementing attending physician/Nurse Practitioner care and ensuring continuity of hospice medical services including appropriate management of patient pain and symptoms related to the terminal condition.
• Documents an individual patient’s progression in end-stage disease in the patient/family record as appropriate.
• Ensures qualified physician/Nurse Practitioner participation in the initial development and ongoing review of the IDG Plan of care, and that the plan of care is developed prior to the delivery of hospice services.
• Actively participates in IDG meetings, including the update of each patient’s comprehensive assessment and plan of care as often as a patient’s condition requires and in accordance with applicable law and regulation.
• When needed, participates in:
• The implementation and review of clinical protocols;
• Patient continuing care decisions;
• The oversight of the provision, adequacy, appropriateness and coordination of short term inpatient care, emergency services and respite care;
• The quality assessment and performance improvement program (QAPI);
• The resolution of patient/family or hospice program clinical and ethical disputes or concerns; and
• The continuing education of the IDG, volunteers, and affiliated physician/Nurse Practitioners and employees of associated inpatient facilities.
• Acts as a patient’s physician/Nurse Practitioner to meet general medical needs, including pain and/or symptom management or other medical intervention should a patient’s attending physician/Nurse Practitioner not be available or chooses to relinquish responsibility for a patient’s care.
• Acts as the liaison to community physician/Nurse Practitioners.
• Completes other assignments as requested and assigned.
• May have access to personal health information (“PHI”) necessary to fulfill the above duties and responsibilities. Access to use and ability to disclose PHI is further defined by each organization/department.

Minimum Education & Experience Requirements:

• An advanced degree in nursing– either an MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) or DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice).
• Current license in good standing in the state(s) in which the hospice provides care.
• Hospice/palliative experience, preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required:

• Knows the applicable law, regulation and contract provisions associated with terminal illness certification for hospice admission or for continuing hospice care.
• Ability to work as a member of the Interdisciplinary Group.
• Knowledge of and commitment to hospice philosophy of care and palliative intervention.
• Ability to effectively communicate with clinical and non-clinical staff, patients and family/caregivers as well as the medical community.
• Meets applicable health requirements to provide patient care.
• Meets the requirements of applicable federal, state and organizational background checks.
• Proof of Covid Vaccine, medical exemption or religious exemption.

Working Conditions & Physical Effort:

• Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.
• Able to occasionally travel locally to make patient visits.
• Occasional exposure to communicable diseases, blood borne pathogens and/or potentially infectious or hazardous materials and situations that require following extensive safety precautions and may include the use of protective equipment.
• Able to stretch, bend, stoop, twist, stand, sit, walk, and reach freely.
• Able to work on-call hours as needed.
• Able to occasionally lift and carry up to 50 lbs., in order to carry out daily job functions and related activities that may be required.