Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner
JOB SUMMARY: The Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner functions as an advanced practice provider within the palliative care service line, delivering compassionate, patient-centered care to individuals with serious illness. The role provides comprehensive assessment, pain and symptom management, goals-of-care support, advance care planning, patient and caregiver education, and care coordination in collaboration with the palliative care physician and interdisciplinary team.
REPORTS TO: Palliative Care Medical Director or designee
QUALIFICATIONS:
Current Nurse Practitioner license in the state(s) of practice.
Graduate of an accredited Nurse Practitioner program; national certification as a Nurse Practitioner required.
Minimum of two years of adult clinical nursing or advanced practice experience; experience in palliative care, hospice, geriatrics, oncology, chronic disease management, or serious illness care preferred.
Knowledge of palliative care principles, pain and symptom management, advance care planning, and interdisciplinary care coordination.
Must have reliable transportation, maintain a current driver license, and maintain automobile liability insurance as required for the role.
Must be able to understand, read, write and speak English.
Must be able to relate positively and favorably to patients, families, caregivers, referral partners, outside agencies, and other employees.
Must demonstrate autonomy, organization, sound clinical judgment, flexibility, compassion, and cooperation in performing job responsibilities.
Must comply with applicable laws, regulations, acceptable professional standards, and scope of practice requirements.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Position carries a risk of exposure to infectious diseases requiring standard safety precautions.
Position will be required to walk, stand, sit and reach with hands and arms. May be required to climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and smell. Requires the mobility to ambulate or lift a patient with or without the assistance of devices in excess of 50 lbs utilizing proper lifting techniques.
Requires specific vision concentration for charting/documentation and computer work.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The position is generally a Monday-Friday schedule. Hours may vary based on patient, family, referral source, clinic, facility, or service line needs, with occasional requests to work additional days or hours as needed.
The employee may encounter stressful situations with patients and families coping with serious illness, complex medical decisions, symptom burden, and changes in goals of care. Travel to homes, facilities, clinics, or other care settings may be required.
May be required to visit patients in areas that have been classified as high risk by local authorities. At times, the employee may be required to serve patients outside the regularly assigned region of the service area.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS – HAZARD RISK:
Occasional – Exposure to blood, body tissues, and other potentially infectious fluids
Occasional – Exposure to other hazardous waste materials
Frequently – Exposure to unpleasant odors as related to care of incontinent residents or wounds
Frequently – Exposure to latex, plastic and/or materials which are used for personal protective equipment
Occasional – Exposure to marked changes in temperature and/or humidity
Frequently – Exposure to microbial bacteria and other infectious agents inherent to care of ill patient
RESPONSIBILITIES (including but not limited to):
Conducts comprehensive and focused palliative care assessments for patients with serious illness across home, facility, clinic, or other approved care settings.
Performs accurate history and physical examinations and evaluates physical, psychosocial, functional, spiritual, and caregiver needs.
Develops, implements, and updates individualized palliative care plans in collaboration with the palliative care physician, attending provider, patient, caregiver, and interdisciplinary team.
Manages pain and other distressing symptoms using pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions within scope of practice and applicable collaborative agreements.
Assists patients and families with goals-of-care conversations, advance care planning, treatment decision support, and understanding of disease progression.
Orders, performs, and interprets laboratory, diagnostic, and radiology tests as appropriate and within scope of professional practice.
Prescribes medications, treatments, and durable medical equipment as indicated, including controlled substances to the extent delegated, licensed, and permitted by law.
Communicates timely clinical updates, assessment findings, changes in condition, and recommended interventions to the palliative care physician, attending physician, primary care provider, and interdisciplinary team.
Coordinates care with referral sources, specialists, facility staff, community resources, and other providers to support continuity of care and reduce avoidable emergency department visits or hospitalizations when consistent with patient goals.
Provides education to patients and caregivers regarding disease process, medications, symptom control, treatment options, safety, and when to contact the care team.
Provides emotional support and compassionate communication to patients and families during periods of crisis, transition, or complex decision-making.
Prepares and maintains accurate, complete, and timely patient records, charts, and documentation to support sound medical practice, care coordination, quality reporting, and reimbursement for services provided.
Completes and submits required paperwork and documentation within established service line timeframes.
Participates in interdisciplinary team meetings, case conferences, staff meetings, educational programs, and community events as requested.
Serves as a clinical resource for palliative care principles, serious illness communication, pain and symptom management, and advance care planning.
Assists in the development, implementation, and evaluation of clinical practice guidelines, standards, workflows, and quality improvement initiatives in support of high-quality palliative care.
Supports agency and corporate policies, goals, objectives, compliance requirements, and service line growth initiatives.
Adheres to confidentiality requirements regarding patients, families, staff, referral partners, and the organization.
Complies with applicable laws and regulations, including requirements related to collaborative agreements, prescribing, documentation, and professional scope of practice.
Has a duty to report any potential misconduct or violation of federal or state laws and regulations to management.
Performs all other duties as assignment.
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Experience:
- Hospice & palliative medicine: 2 years (Required)
License/Certification:
- Licensed Nurse Practitioner for SC (Required)
Ability to Commute:
- Charleston, SC 29401 (Required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Charleston, SC 29401
