What are the responsibilities and job description for the Nurse Practitioner or Physician's Assistant position at Quality Home Health, Hospice & Palliative Care?
We are looking for a Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant to join our Palliative team servicing Salt Lake and Utah County patients.
Job Summary
The Home-Based Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner (NP) or Physician Assistant (PA) provides comprehensive, compassionate, patient‑centered care to individuals with serious or life‑limiting illnesses in their homes. The NP/PA focuses on advanced symptom management, goals‑of‑care discussions, and coordination of care to improve quality of life, reduce unnecessary hospitalizations, and support patients and families in the community setting.
Job Summary
The Home-Based Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner (NP) or Physician Assistant (PA) provides comprehensive, compassionate, patient‑centered care to individuals with serious or life‑limiting illnesses in their homes. The NP/PA focuses on advanced symptom management, goals‑of‑care discussions, and coordination of care to improve quality of life, reduce unnecessary hospitalizations, and support patients and families in the community setting.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Deliver in‑home palliative care visits to patients with complex chronic or serious illnesses.
- Perform comprehensive medical assessments, including physical, psychosocial, and functional evaluations.
- Develop, implement, and regularly update individualized care plans with a focus on comfort, function, and patient goals.
- Manage complex symptom burdens, including pain, dyspnea, nausea, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
- Provide advance care planning, including discussions of prognosis, goals of care, advanced directives, and POLST/MOLST forms.
- Communicate effectively with patients, families, caregivers, and healthcare proxies regarding care decisions.
- Collaborate closely with interdisciplinary team members, including physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, pharmacists, and community agencies.
- Coordinate care transitions, including hospital discharges and referral to hospice services when appropriate.
- Prescribe medications and order diagnostic tests in accordance with scope of practice and regulatory requirements.
- Provide education to patients and caregivers on disease management, symptom control, medications, and safety in the home.
- Document clinical encounters accurately and timely in the electronic medical record.
- Participate in quality improvement initiatives and program development for home‑based services.
- Comply with organizational policies, regulatory standards, and infection control practices.
Work Environment:
- Primarily community‑based, providing care in private homes, assisted living facilities, or adult family homes.
- Independent fieldwork with scheduled team collaboration and case conferences.
- Frequent local travel required; reliable transportation necessary.
- May include occasional evening or on‑call responsibilities.
Required Qualifications:
- Master’s or Doctorate degree in Nursing from an accredited Nurse Practitioner program or Graduate of an accredited Physician Assistant program.
- Current Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant license in the state of practice.
- National certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Adult‑Gerontology Primary Care NP (AGPCNP), or Adult‑Gerontology Acute Care NP (AGACNP)/NCCPA certification.
- Minimum of 1–2 years of Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant experience (palliative care, hospice, geriatrics, oncology, or home health preferred).
- DEA registration and prescriptive authority (or eligibility).
- Current BLS certification.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Prior experience in home‑based palliative care or hospice.
- Certification in Hospice and Palliative Nursing (CHPN) or Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (ACHPN/HPNP‑BC).
- Experience with complex care management and care coordination.
- Comfort working independently in community settings.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Advanced clinical judgment and decision‑making skills.
- Strong communication skills, particularly in sensitive and emotionally complex situations.
- High level of empathy, cultural humility, and professionalism.
- Ability to work autonomously while collaborating within an interdisciplinary team.
- Excellent organizational and time‑management skills.
- Proficiency with electronic health records and mobile documentation tools.
Physical and Emotional Requirements:
- Ability to travel between patient homes and carry basic medical equipment.
- Ability to sit, stand, walk, and perform patient assessments in non‑clinical environments.
- Emotional resilience when supporting patients and families facing serious illness or end of life.
About Quality Home Health, Hospice & Palliative Care:
Quality Home Health, Hospice and Palliative Care is a licensed, Medicare Certified Home Health, Hospice and Palliative Agency. We are committed to providing the highest quality of health care by professional and caring personnel to our patients in the privacy of their own home. We strive to be the Home Health, Hospice and Palliative provider of choice in Utah. We offer the following services under the direction and supervision of a physician or nurse practitioner for all lines of business: Skilled Nursing, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Medical Social Worker, Home Health aide, primary care and palliative services.
Salary : $120,000 - $140,000