The Palliative Care Advanced Practice Provider (APP) (Nurse Practitioner/Physician’s Assistant) provides direct palliative care services to patients of all age groups under the immediate supervision and in collaboration with a licensed physician(s).

1. Performs initial and periodic medical history, physical examinations, and daily assessments as directed by the physician(s) and records findings of examinations and assessments to be reviewed and countersigned by the supervising physician. 
2. Provides education to patient, family, and other DCH staff members on the Palliative Care program.
3. Performs palliative care consultations under physician supervision and direction.
4. Responds to daily telephone requests from outside consulting physicians, DCH case managers, DCH social work, clinical staff, and other DCH Health System staff. 
5. Writes orders in the medical record for medications as directed by supervising physician based on established written protocol and ensures orders are cosigned by supervising physician. 
6. Orders and interprets daily laboratory and radiology examinations as appropriate based on established protocols or physician direction and ensures orders are cosigned by supervising physician. 
7. Monitors treatment plan(s) as established by the supervising physician.
8. Documents all patient encounters, records observations, interventions, and actions in a medically appropriate manner in the patient’s medical record.
9. Participates in the development, implementation, and evaluation of palliative care best practices, protocols, and treatment plans. 
10. Participates in Palliative Care Performance Improvement Program and QA initiatives as well as any hospital initiatives.
11. Provides education, referral, and follow up to patients and families regarding Palliative Care.
12. Works with Palliative Care Coordinator to ensure the successful, smooth operation of the Palliative Care program.

 DCH Standards:

• Maintains performance, patient and employee satisfaction and financial standards as outlined in theperformance evaluation.
• Performs compliance requirements as outlined in the Employee Handbook
• Must adhere to the DCH Behavioral Standards including creating positive relationships with patients/families, coworkers, colleagues and with self.
• Requires use of electronic mail, time and attendance software, learning management software and intranet.
• Must adhere to all DCH Health System policies and procedures.
• All other duties as assigned.

Must be a graduate of an approved Nurse Practitioner program.  

Licensed by and in good standing with the Alabama Board of Nursing to practice as Nurse Practitioner.

Demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide palliative care to all age groups. 

Prior nursing or CRNP experience in acute care, hospice or palliative care preferred

Must be able to read, write legibly, speak, and comprehend English

Working Conditions:

Ability to use medical supplies and equipment necessary to carry out the duties listed above.

Work is in a fast paced acute setting, requires travel between units in the acute care hospital.  Work requires walking, standing, sitting, lifting, reaching, bending, pushing, and pulling.  Must be able to lift and support weight of 50 pounds in handling patients and medical equipment and supplies.  Must speak English fluently and in understandable terms.  Must possess an intact sense of sight, hearing, smell, touching and finger dexterity.  Must have the ability to concentrate.  Must be able to respond quickly to changes in patient and/or clinic conditions.  Possible exposure to communicable diseases.

Will limit access to protected health information (PHI) to the information reasonably necessary to do the job.  Will share information only on a need to know basis for work purposes.  Access to verbal, written and electronic PHI for this job has been determined based on job level and job responsibility within the organization.  Computerized access to PHI for this job has been determined as described above and is controlled via user ID and password.

Physical presence onsite is essential.  Hearing and vision must be normal or corrected to within normal range.  Able to perform the duties with or without reasonable accommodation