The Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Philadelphia is a leading provider of home health, hospice, and palliative care services in Philadelphia and designated areas of Bucks, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. The VNA offers a variety of clinical services and is proud of its home health 4.0-star quality rating and free-standing hospice inpatient unit. Since 1886, the VNA of Greater Philadelphia has remained true to its commitment to help patients remain safe and comfortable at home. The hospice admission nurse plays a vital role on the hospice team.

In this position you will utilize your hospice knowledge and expertise to evaluate the patient’s appropriateness for hospice services, communicate with the medical director to obtain necessary certification, conduct the admission visit, and collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to establish and implement the patient’s plan of care. If you are an experienced hospice nurse with knowledge of hospice admission criteria who demonstrates a caring, compassionate demeanor with patients, families, and caregivers, we invite you to share your talent and skills by joining the VNA’s closeknit, high performing hospice team.

Position Summary: Facilitates Hospice admissions by educating patients and families about the Hospice benefit.  Assists patients/families identify short- and long-term goals of care.  When appropriate admits patients into the program. Provides skilled nursing in accordance with standard of professional hospice nursing practice as well as agency policies, procedures, and standards.  Creates initial Plan of Care.

Essential Functions:  Collaborates with members of the Hospice Interdisciplinary Team, patient, family and attending physician in designing the plan of care for the patient and family.

Other Duties:

1. Effectively communicates Hospice and VNA programs to patients/families and potential referral sources.
2. In collaboration with the Patient and Primary Care Giver goals of Hospice are identified.
3. Systematically collects data that are comprehensive, accurate, continuous, and current.
4. Demonstrates knowledge of current pain and symptom control interventions. Appropriately applies this knowledge in providing patient care.
5. Communicates with Attending Physician and IDG, patient information and initial goals of care.
6. Reflects sensitivity to special needs of patients from diverse cultures as these needs apply to dying, quality of life, and ethical dilemmas.
7. Understands, facilitates and documents the elements and processes of ethical decision making for patients and families. .
8. Continuously updates and adjusts care via documented nursing actions which are consistent with recognizing nursing theories and establishes knowledge.
9. Participates, as appropriate, in the Agency’s educational activities, including new employee orientation and professional student clinical training and Agency staff education programs.
10. Complies with Agency’s personnel policies and procedures.
11. May perform other responsibilities relevant to the position as assigned.

Knowledge and Experience:

1. Current, valid license from Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a Registered Nurse.
2. One year’s experience in provision of relevant direct patient care.
3. Possession of automobile, valid driver’s license, and auto insurance.

Education: Graduate of an NLN-approved and state accredited program for nursing.