Nurse Practitioner; NP

Nurse Practitioner (NP)

Hospice of Michigan, Muskegon, Michigan, United States

Join our palliative care team at Northstar Palliative Care, an affiliate of Hospice of Michigan. As a palliative care nurse practitioner, you will evaluate and manage home‑based palliative care patients with a limited prognosis, focusing on symptom management and advanced care planning to support patients and families during significant chronic disease.

Assumes responsibility and accountability for the Nurse Practitioner (NP) role for patients within the North Star Care Community (NSCC) as detailed below. Provides services under collaborative practice agreement with the physicians of the practice and participates in the on‑call schedule per policy.

• Completes and documents an accurate history and physical examination and documents findings for Face to Face and/or certification of terminal Illness for physician review of initial and ongoing hospice eligibility.
• In collaboration with the hospice and attending physicians, works to establish and meet the goals of care, coordinates with internal and external members of the patient’s health care and family/caregiver teams, and makes recommendations for identified immediate needs and ongoing treatment plans.
• Completes timely and accurate documentation of all activities in the electronic medical record (EMR).
• Provides assistance to patients/families in goal setting, care plan development and end‑of‑life discussions.
• Promotes access to community resources and acts as a liaison by relaying information to other health care professionals and agencies to provide for continuity of care.
• Participates in Quality Assurance activities and committee service related to NP scope of practice and policies/procedures.
• Maintains consistent and on‑going communications with attending physician regarding all aspects of care.
• Promotes patient relations through confidentiality, privacy, and dignity. Provides services in a quick and courteous manner with care and respect for the patient’s individual needs.
• Consults with physicians within the practice according to the collaborative practice agreement.
• Communicates with nursing home and other facility staff regarding goals and treatment plans.
• Provides educational support to the orientation process, ongoing staff development, and education about the organization’s services to referral sources, facilities, and the community.
• Maintains oversight of all allocated resources within assigned areas of responsibility including but not limited to time, expenses, supplies and labor and ensures pre‑determined financial margins and/or clinical outcomes are achieved.
• Provides support to physicians as needed, including attending IDT with physician when requested.
• Acts as a representative of the North Star Community in the facilities, homes, and communities of the patients we serve. This includes identifying and solving problems within the NP scope of practice and patient care plan that are being encountered as part of the care delivered.

• Completes an accurate history and physical examination and provides diagnosis and treatment of symptoms, including recommending or prescribing medications and treatments (as preferred by referring provider) according to the collaborative agreement and NP scope of practice laws and as approved by the Director of Medical Affairs.
• Working with the collaborating physician, identifies and documents medical necessity for home/facility encounters, including appropriateness for initiating services, timing/necessity of follow up encounters, and appropriateness for hospice evaluation and/or discharge from practice.
• Works to establish and meet the goals of care, coordinates with internal and external members of the patient’s health care and family/caregiver teams, and coordinates referral to hospice services when appropriate and requested by the patient/legal representative.
• Completes timely and accurate documentation of encounters in the electronic medical record (EMR) to support medical necessity, coordination of care, quality/coding standards,…