Job Description: Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner

Location: Coupeville, WA
Position: Full-Time, Palliative Care
Reports To: Medical Director, Palliative Care Team

Key Responsibilities:

• Home and Community Visits:
  • Provide consultative visits for pain and symptom management to patients with life-limiting, progressive, and terminal illnesses in their home or community facility.
  • Offer counseling on goals of care and advanced care planning.
• Outpatient Consultations:
  • Perform palliative consultations in primary care clinics and outpatient oncology settings.
  • Focus on pain and symptom management and counseling regarding goals of care and advanced care planning.
• Inpatient Consultations:
  • Provide consultative services for inpatient care, focusing on transitions of care, goals of care, and advanced care planning.
  • Evaluate patients for hospice appropriateness.
• Comprehensive Patient Assessments:
  • Conduct physical, emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual assessments of patients and families experiencing life-limiting illnesses.
  • Order and interpret diagnostic tests in alignment with palliative care goals.
  • Formulate differential diagnoses based on patient history, symptoms, and diagnostic findings.
• Symptom Management:
  • Prescribe medications for pain and symptom management in life-limiting illnesses, ensuring treatment is evidence-based.
  • Integrate non-pharmacologic and complementary therapies into care plans for complex symptom management.
• Patient and Family Support:
  • Provide counseling and guidance to patients and families regarding the management of progressive and terminal illnesses.
  • Offer support throughout the illness trajectory, including advanced disease management and bereavement counseling for survivors.
• Care Continuity and Documentation:
  • Ensure continuity of care across various healthcare settings, reducing fragmentation of services.
  • Accurately document palliative care services for maximum reimbursement and quality care.
• Quality Improvement:
  • Participate in quality improvement initiatives to enhance the delivery of palliative care and improve patient outcomes.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of palliative interventions on patient and family quality of life.
• Collaboration and Education:
  • Collaborate with the Hospice Medical Director and other healthcare providers for patient care.
  • Develop and implement educational initiatives on palliative care for healthcare teams and the community.
  • Provide leadership on systems change and improvements in clinical practice through committee involvement and project management.
• Leadership and Systems Change:
  • Support and promote clinical practice improvements based on evidence-based interventions.
  • Lead or participate in committees, quality improvement projects, and research efforts as needed.

Required Qualifications:

• Education:
  • Completion of an accredited Master of Nursing or Doctorate of Nursing Program.
• Experience:
  • Minimum of three years of professional experience in palliative or hospice care.
  • Graduate-level training in palliative care preferred.
• Licenses/Certifications:
  • Active WA State RN & NP License required.
  • BLS Certification required.
  • Active unrestricted DEA license required.
  • Board Certification by a nationally accredited agency as an Adult or Family Nurse Practitioner.
  • Certification in ACHPN (Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse) preferred, or willingness to obtain within 12-18 months.

Job Knowledge & Skills:

• Palliative Care Expertise:
  • Advanced knowledge of palliative care principles and practices, including pain and symptom management, goals of care, and advanced care planning.
  • Ability to assess and manage complex physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of patients and families.
• Communication Skills:
  • Excellent communication skills for patient counseling, family support, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Clinical Independence:
  • Ability to work autonomously in patient care settings, with a strong understanding of hospice and palliative care protocols.
• Knowledge of Hospice Medicare Benefit:
  • Familiarity with Hospice Medicare benefits, services, and reimbursement processes.

Benefits:

• Healthcare: Comprehensive medical coverage to ensure your health and well-being.
• Dental: Dental insurance to maintain oral health.
• Vision: Vision care to support eye health.
• Life Insurance: Life insurance coverage for peace of mind.