Wisconsin Statewide Float Nurse

Job Overview

The Statewide Float Registered Nurse will temporarily fill in across multiple Wisconsin branch locations. This role will cover open positions as directed by the Statewide Clinical Director. The Registered Nurse plans, organizes and directs hospice care and is experienced in nursing, with an emphasis on community health education and experience. The professional nurse builds from the resources of the community to plan and direct services to meet the needs of individuals and families within their homes and communities.

Essential Functions

This is meant to be a general description of the most essential functions of this role. Other duties may be assigned.

Patient Care

• Performs all duties and responsibilities in accordance with the Nurse Practice Act and in accordance with basic principles and guidelines of professional nursing.

• Completes initial and ongoing comprehensive assessment of patient and family to determine hospice needs. Provides a complete physical assessment of all current and previous health history.

• Evaluates patient status by:

a. Writing and initiating plan of care

b. Regularly re-evaluating patient and family/caregiver needs

c. Participating in plan of care revision as necessary

• Uses health assessment data to determine nursing diagnosis.

• Develops a plan of care that establishes goals, based on nursing diagnosis, and incorporates palliative nursing actions. Includes patient and family in the planning process.

• Initiates appropriate preventive and rehabilitative nursing procedures. Administers medications and treatments as prescribed and determined by the physician's plan of care.

• Provides health care instructions to the patient as appropriate per assessment and plan. Completes, submits, and maintains accurate and relevant clinical notes regarding patient's condition and care given. Records pain/symptom management and changes/outcomes as appropriate.

• Communicates with the physician regarding patient needs and reports changes in patient condition; obtains/receives physician orders as required.

• Assists the patient with the activities of daily living and facilitates the patient's efforts toward self-sufficiency and optional comfort care.

• Provides and maintains a safe environment for the patient.

• Counsels and works in cooperation with the family/caregiver and hospice interdisciplinary group to meet the emotional needs of the patient and family/caregiver.

• Teaches the patient and family/caregiver self-care techniques as appropriate. Provides medication, diet and other instructions as ordered by the physician. Recognizes and utilizes opportunities for health counseling with patients and families/caregivers. Works in concert with interdisciplinary care team.

• Coordinates plan of care with relevant community health partners.

• Ensures arrangements for equipment and other necessary items and services are available.

• Responsible for maintaining compliance with all HIPAA regulations and requirements. Treats all patient information as confidential and utilizes protected health information on a minimum necessary basis.

Additional Duties

• Participates in on-call duties as defined by the on-call policy.

• Attends interdisciplinary group meetings.

• Supervises ancillary personnel and delegates responsibilities when required.

• Assumes responsibility for personal growth and development. Maintains and upgrades professional knowledge and practice skills through attendance and participation in continuing education and in-service classes.

• Actively participates in quality assessment and performance improvement teams and activities as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Excellent observation, verbal and written communication skills, problem-solving skills, and basic math skills required.

• Ability to effectively plan and organize, while managing competing priorities, required.

• Ability to effectively comprehend and utilize an electronic health record required.

• Ability to read and follow written instructions, and concisely document care given within established timeframes.

• Ability to demonstrate ongoing competence in nursing skills per St. Croix Hospice competency checklist required.

• Self-directing with the ability to exercise independent judgment and work with little direct supervision required.

• Proficient in the English language. Able to read, speak, and write English in a clear and concise manner required.

• Understands hospice philosophy, secure with issues of death/dying. Comfortable providing specialized care to the terminally ill.

• Displays empathy for the needs of the ill, injured, frail and impaired.

• Provides a calm demeanor when in a patient's home.

Qualifications

• Must have current Registered Nurse (RN) license in state(s) of practice.

• Graduate of an accredited school of nursing required. Associate degree required. Bachelor's degree preferred.

• One to two years of recent acute care experience in an institutional setting, and one to two years of recent experience in home care preferred.

• Ability to pass DHS background study.

• If Driving: Valid State Driver's License, automobile in good working order, automobile insurance in accordance with state and organizational requirements, and an acceptable driving record required.