Overview
Join our compassionate healthcare team as a Hospice Admission Nurse, where your expertise will make a meaningful difference in patients' end-of-life journey. In this vital role, you will be the first point of contact for patients and families entering hospice care, ensuring a smooth and respectful admission process. Your clinical skills, empathy, and attention to detail will help provide comfort, clarity, and support during a challenging time. This position offers an opportunity to work within a dynamic healthcare environment dedicated to delivering exceptional patient-centered care.
Duties
- Conduct comprehensive patient assessments to evaluate medical history, current condition, and care needs upon admission
- Collaborate closely with healthcare professionals across disciplines to develop Admission Registered Nurse (RN)
Location: Caring Hearts Hospice Service Area – Portland Metro + Surrounding Areas
Job Type: Full-Time, Field-Based
About Us
Caring Hearts Hospice is committed to providing compassionate, individualized end-of-life care that honors the dignity, comfort, and wishes of every patient and family we serve.
We believe hospice begins with trust. From the very first conversation and admission visit, our goal is to make patients and families feel heard, supported, informed, and confident in the care they are receiving.
We are looking for an experienced, compassionate, and highly organized Admission Registered Nurse (RN) who understands that a hospice admission is more than completing paperwork—it is the beginning of an important relationship with the patient, family, and entire care team.
Position Overview
The Admission RN is responsible for completing comprehensive hospice admission visits for patients referred to Caring Hearts Hospice.
This role serves as one of the first clinical representatives of our organization and plays a critical role in creating a smooth, compassionate transition into hospice care. The Admission RN will assess the patient's clinical condition, confirm hospice eligibility, educate patients and families regarding the hospice philosophy and services, obtain required admission documentation, develop the initial plan of care, and coordinate immediate patient needs with the interdisciplinary team.
The ideal candidate is a confident hospice clinician who can independently manage admissions while providing exceptional communication, education, and emotional support to patients and families during what can be an overwhelming time.
Key Responsibilities
- Complete comprehensive hospice admission assessments in the patient's place of residence, including private homes, assisted living communities, adult foster homes, skilled nursing facilities, and other care settings.
- Perform thorough nursing assessments including physical, psychosocial, functional, safety, symptom-management, and medication evaluations.
- Review referral information and available medical records to assist in determining hospice eligibility and appropriateness for services.
- Collaborate with the hospice medical director, attending provider, referral source, and interdisciplinary team as necessary to support eligibility determination and admission.
- Clearly explain the hospice philosophy, services, levels of care, patient rights, Medicare hospice benefit, and expectations of hospice care to patients and families.
- Provide compassionate guidance to patients and families as they transition from curative or facility-based care to hospice-focused comfort care.
- Obtain and accurately complete required admission consents, election statements, certifications, medication profiles, assessments, and other required documentation.
- Develop the initial nursing plan of care based on the patient's immediate clinical needs, symptoms, goals, and preferences.
- Identify urgent symptom-management needs and initiate appropriate interventions in collaboration with the provider and hospice team.
- Coordinate medications, durable medical equipment, oxygen, supplies, pharmacy needs, and other services necessary for a safe and timely start of care.
- Perform medication reconciliation and provide patient and caregiver education regarding medications, comfort medications, symptom management, and medication safety.
- Provide education regarding pain management, respiratory symptoms, anxiety, agitation, nutrition and hydration changes, skin care, fall prevention, and signs of disease progression when appropriate.
- Ensure patients and caregivers understand how and when to contact hospice, including access to 24-hour clinical support.
- Communicate a thorough admission handoff to the assigned RN Case Manager and interdisciplinary team.
- Document admission assessments and interventions accurately, thoroughly, and within required timeframes.
- Maintain effective communication with referral sources, facilities, physicians, pharmacies, DME providers, and other community partners involved in the patient's care.
- Recognize changes in condition or safety concerns requiring immediate clinical intervention or escalation.
- Maintain compliance with hospice policies, Medicare Conditions of Participation, state and federal regulations, infection-control practices, and professional nursing standards.
- Represent Caring Hearts Hospice professionally and compassionately in every interaction with patients, families, facilities, referral partners, and community providers.
Qualifications
- Current and unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license in the State of Oregon.
- Minimum of one year of professional nursing experience.
- Hospice, palliative care, home health, oncology, geriatrics, acute care, or related clinical experience strongly preferred.
- Strong clinical assessment and critical-thinking skills.
- Ability to independently evaluate patient needs and appropriately prioritize clinical concerns.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to provide education and discuss sensitive end-of-life topics with compassion, clarity, and professionalism.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple admissions and changing priorities.
- Comfortable working independently in a field-based environment while maintaining close communication with the interdisciplinary team.
- Ability to complete accurate and timely electronic clinical documentation.
- Valid driver's license, reliable transportation, and ability to travel throughout the Caring Hearts Hospice service area.
- Ability to meet the physical requirements associated with providing nursing care in home and facility environments.
Preferred Attributes
We are especially interested in candidates who:
- Have previous hospice admission or hospice case-management experience.
- Understand hospice eligibility criteria and the Medicare hospice benefit.
- Are confident conducting comprehensive assessments independently.
- Can quickly establish trust with patients and families during emotionally difficult circumstances.
- Are comfortable having thoughtful conversations regarding goals of care, disease progression, comfort-focused treatment, and end-of-life expectations.
- Have strong attention to detail and take pride in complete, accurate documentation.
- Are proactive problem-solvers who anticipate patient needs rather than waiting for problems to develop.
- Communicate effectively with physicians, facilities, caregivers, and interdisciplinary team members.
- Remain calm, compassionate, and organized when managing complex or time-sensitive admissions.
- Believe that every patient and family deserves a dignified, supportive, and seamless transition into hospice care.
What We Offer
At Caring Hearts Hospice, our nurses are valued members of the interdisciplinary team and an essential part of the experience we provide to patients and families.
We offer:
- A supportive and collaborative hospice team environment.
- Meaningful work centered on patient comfort, dignity, and quality of life.
- The opportunity to make an immediate difference for patients and families during one of life's most important transitions.
- Leadership that values communication, teamwork, accountability, and quality patient care.
- Opportunities for professional growth and continued development in hospice and palliative care.
- Competitive compensation and benefits based on experience and employment status.
If you are an experienced, compassionate RN who understands the importance of creating a smooth and supportive hospice admission experience, we would welcome the opportunity to speak with you about joining Caring Hearts Hospice.
Pay: $50.00 - $60.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Health insurance
- Mileage reimbursement
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
