Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner

As a member of the interdisciplinary palliative care team, the Palliative NP provides consultation, symptom management, and supportive care to meet the needs of patients and families as requested by referring provider and primary team. The NP is an integral member of the robust interdisciplinary palliative care team that services long term chronic care and post-acute units (Rehabilitative Services Unit and Medical Acute Care Unit)

The right candidate possesses strong clinical skills, demonstrated leadership, and an ability to work across systems to meet needs of patients and their families.  Becoming a member of the Hebrew SeniorLife team offers the opportunity to collaborate with HSL leaders in developing a dynamic palliative care program for an organization focused on ground breaking research, innovation, and teaching in clinical excellence. 

Core Competencies:

• Collaborates effectively with the interdisciplinary palliative care team and across the organization to provide specialized care.
• Facilitates family meetings when complex goals of care are identified and discussed.
• Advances the impact and visibility of palliative care and advanced illness management by establishing a trusting, collaborative approach between palliative care service and the primary teams.
• Educates staff and promotes the development of advanced illness management and palliative care skills across the continuum.
• Serves as a mentor and resource to staff on primary teams as they provide care to patients with complex medical and ethical issues.
• Keeps up to date on evidence-based medical practice, industry trends, and current research in advanced illness management and palliative care and serves as a clinical resource.

Position Responsibilities:

• Provide palliative care consults for long term chronic care hospital patients and post-acute unit patients and their families facing chronic, complex and life-threatening conditions.
• Conduct comprehensive medical and psychosocial evaluation of patients and families referred for consult.
• Provide recommendation for skilled and meticulous pain and symptom management.
• Recommends additional referrals deemed appropriate based on assessment.
• Work with patients and families to determine their understanding of the patient’s medical status, disease course and proposed treatment plan.
• Facilitate clarification of patient and family goals of care and advance care directives.
• Promote continuity of care through effective verbal and written communication across health care settings.
• Precept NP students, palliative medicine fellows and other clinical rotators who shadow the Palliative Care Service.
• Assist in management of palliative care medicine fellowship along with the Palliative Care Director.
• Serve as a clinical and educational role model and mentor.
• Provide formal and informal educational opportunities for the clinical staff on current aspects of advanced illness management and palliative care.
• Participate in interdisciplinary meetings as indicated.
• Document patient visits according to policy using the medical record system to achieve daily billing within 24 hours for patients under his/her care.
• Enhance professional growth and self-development through participation in educational programs, current literature, in-service programs and research activities.

Qualifications:

License: Licensed as a Nurse Practitioner by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing.  Unrestricted license to practice in state and per Physician/APN Standard Care Agreement. 

Certification: National Certification as Geriatric, Adult or Family Nurse Practitioner. Advanced Certification in Hospice and Palliative Nursing desirable

• Knowledge of medications
• Qualified candidates must have a minimum of five years nursing experience.
• Minimum of 2 years palliative care experience
• Experience including care of elders at the end of life or with complex, chronic and/or life-threatening conditions preferred.
• Experience in palliative care, with either 5 years in specialty field or certification in palliative care