Patient Care Coordinator

DEPARTMENT: HOSPICE

FACILITY: Hospice of Tift Area

WORK TYPE: Full Time

SHIFT: Daytime

Summary

The Patient Care Coordinator is responsible for initial patient services as well as the day to day management and coordination of patient/family care activities and services. Patient Care Coordinator is responsible for supervision of clinical personnel, and works with physicians, hospital personnel, contract personnel, and others as relates to hospice patient care. Responsible for referrals, explanation of services, sign-ups, and initial nursing evaluations. Provides guidance and assistance to RNs, LPNs, non-licensed staff in the hospice setting; is accountable for the caliber of patient care performed by them self and those under their supervision; promotes and coordinates team work with physicians and associates; interfaces effectively with other departments. Assists in ensuring compliance with regulations as established by the State Board of Registered Nursing, the JCAHO, federal and state regulations and reimbursement guidelines, and the policies of the organization, Hospice of Tift Area, and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. Provides customer service to patients, families, visitors, physicians, coworkers, and other medical and non-medical persons.

Responsibilities

• Directs the planning, organizing, training and direction in order to control work flow.
• Demonstrates good judgment by conducting all aspects of supervision in a fair, firm, consistent and objective manner; counsels employees in privacy.
• Delegates tasks by communicating clearly the expectations of team members.
• Assist in developing and growth of department by recommendations based on identifying utilization trends, program goals, departmental objectives, and changes in technology.
• Takes call on an as needed basis to assure coverage 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.
• Coordinates and oversees all direct and indirect patient services provided by clinical personnel.
• Supervises clinical team members in the delivery of patient care and assists with patient care as needed, providing efficient and gentle patient care specific to the standard of care for patient's age and clinical condition.
• Develops and implements a nursing staffing pattern.
• Receives referrals and completes admissions including: accumulating and reviewing patient information related to case to determine appropriateness of referral; explaining hospice services to patient/family/caregiver; assisting patient/family/caregiver in the signing of hospice documents; completing initial nursing evaluation; and preparing initial care plan and patient chart.
• Develops, implements, and documents written policies and procedures to provide nursing staff with practical methods of meeting collective and individual responsibilities as outlined and assigned in the interdisciplinary plan for each patient/family.
• Reports changes/needs/requests to physician and act as liaison between patient/family and physician. Initiates and sustains the implementation of orders for medications, treatments, and laboratory tests as prescribed by the primary care physician.
• Assesses patient's condition and reevaluates needs/changes regularly. Initiates plan of care, re-evaluates and updates as necessary.
• Provides efficient and gentle patient care specific to the standard of care for patient's age and clinical condition.
• Demonstrates ability to adequately assess and reassess pain. Utilizes appropriate pain management techniques, and educates the patient and family regarding pain management.
• Arranges for delivery of needed durable medical equipment (DME) to patient's place of residence.
• Ensures each patient/family/caregiver is visited and assessed by each interdisciplinary team member in compliance with the plan of care, hospice policy and National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization guidelines.
• Fosters cooperative and collaborative efforts among family members/caregivers in sharing responsibility for providing patient care. Provides patient/family/caregiver with information, support and encouragement, lending to empowerment and problem solving.
• Assists the patient with activities of daily living and facilitates the patient's efforts toward self-sufficiency and optimal comfort care, including pain and symptom management.
• Completes, maintains, and submits accurate and relevant clinical notes regarding patient's condition and care given. All documentation is completed within 24 hours of rendering service.
• Cultivates cooperative and collaborative effort among hospice team members, family/caregiver, hospital personnel, and other providers in providing continuity of patient care in a holistic manner.
• Keeps abreast of pertinent federal, and state regulations and laws and Tift Regional Health System, Inc. ("TRHS") policies as they presently exist and as they change or are modified.
• Understands and adheres to: TRHS' compliance standards as they appear in TRHS's Corporate Compliance Policy, Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Policy; and HIPAA and TRHS policies regarding privacy and security of protected health information.
• Demonstrates the ability to perform tasks that meet the age-specific requirements of the persons, patients, vendors, and staff that the employee is charged to interact with as required by the position.
• Offers suggestions on ways to improve operations of department and reduce costs.
• Attends all mandatory education programs.
• Improves self-knowledge through voluntarily attending continuing education/certification classes.
• Maintains required competency levels as identified in written exams, skills checklists, skills labs, annual safety and health requirements as well as service excellence education hours requirements.
• Cross-trains in order to better assist co-workers and to provide maximum efficiency in the department.
• Volunteers/participates on hospital committees, functions, and department projects.
• Manages resources effectively.
• Reports equipment in need of repair in order to extend life of equipment and removes malfunctioning equipment out of service with timely reporting to the appropriate personnel.
• Makes good use of time so as to not create needless overtime.
  
  

EDUCATION

• Associate's Degree in Nursing
  
  

CREDENTIALS

• REGISTERED NURSE
  
  

Other Information

Must maintain current licensure as a Registered Nurse in the State of Georgia. Must maintain BLS certification. Minimum of five (5) years experience in general nursing, and previous nursing experience in hospice preferred. Management or supervisory experience preferred. Certification as Hospice or Palliative Care nurse preferred.

Southwell/Tift Regional Health System, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.