Registered Nurse Hospice

Position Type: Full-Time

Category: Registered Nurses

Company: Heartland Hospice

Location: Des Moines, IA

Overview

Lead with Heart. Be the Difference. Transform End-of-Life Care.

Join our company, where every day is an opportunity to deliver personalized, meaningful hospice and palliative care to patients facing life-limiting illness. We support patients and their families with dignity, comfort, and love.

What You'll Do as a Hospice RN / RN Case Manager:

• Be the primary point of contact for patients and families, guiding them through every step of their hospice journey.
• Deliver and document skilled, hands-on nursing care based on each patient’s individualized Plan of Care—in their home, assisted living, or wherever they call home.
• Perform initial and ongoing assessments to monitor patient condition and adjust care as needed.
• Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team—including physicians, LPNs, CNAs, social workers, chaplains, and others—to build and refine personalized care plans.
• Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support not just to the patient, but to their loved ones as well—offering education, comfort, and bereavement guidance.
• Teach caregivers how to care for their loved one safely and confidently, offering both practical training and emotional reassurance.
• Communicate important updates in patient condition to the care team, ensuring timely and appropriate interventions.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date clinical documentation and follow infection control and compliance standards.
• Support the organization's quality improvement and scheduling initiatives to ensure care is consistent, compassionate, and efficient.
• Help patients and families understand and navigate topics such as:
• Medication administration
• Hospice philosophy and services
• Symptom and pain management
• End-of-life processes and expectations

Essential Functions

Job Responsibilities

• Perform comprehensive patient assessments and reassessments including in-person/telephonic RN assessments/screenings and provide education to patients, family members and caregivers as appropriate.
• Deliver skilled nursing interventions and symptom management aligned with goals of care.
• Develop and update individualized plans of care including patient visit frequency to meet individual needs and risk identification.
• Coordinate care across interdisciplinary teams including consultation with physicians and nurse partitioners.
• Provide patient and caregiver education regarding disease process, self-care techniques, end-of-life care, medications, nutrition and dietary needs.
• Communicate change in condition, or signs and symptoms of decline to appropriate provider (e.g., NP, PCP, Hospice Physician).
• Support the continuity of care by recognizing and supporting home health, palliative and hospice referrals as appropriate and recognizing and supporting transitions in levels of care.
• Document timely clinical records on all patients including screening/assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, and care plans.
• Maintain effective working relationships with IDG, and involve team when patient's care plan warrants team participation to achieve desired outcome.
• Participate in on-call and patient support activities as applicable, conducting on-call services in a clinically competent and responsive manner.

Core Competencies

• Clinical excellence and sound judgment
• Patient-centered communication and empathy
• Interdisciplinary collaboration
• Accountability and regulatory compliance
• Adaptability and critical thinking
• Timeliness of patient visits and documentation
• Accuracy and completeness of clinical records
• Patient and caregiver satisfaction
• Compliance with regulatory and policy standards
• Participation in team collaboration and IDG activities

About You

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Education:

• Registered Nurse

Experience:

• A minimum of one (1) year experience as an RN, either in acute care hospital, oncology, long-term care, hospice or home health. School internships and clinical hours may be considered as experience in individual cases.
• Hospice or palliative care experience preferred

Licenses, Certifications and/or Registration:

• Current license to practice nursing in the state of requested employment
• CPR Certification
• Current automobile insurance and valid driver’s license

Specialized Knowledge and Skills:

• Knowledge of terminally ill patients and their families along with understanding of hospice; ability to apply knowledge of the special needs of hospice patient and families; knowledge of roles of all disciplines providing hospice services; excellent patient assessment skills; knowledge of community resources; good oral and written communication skills; documentation and program management; knowledge of general nursing practice; thorough knowledge of managed care principles, regulatory guidelines (i.e., Medicare, Medicaid, ACHC, and human resource management principles).

Working Conditions:

• Patient’s homes and/or institutional setting and automobile. Potential exposure to infections, communicable diseases, odors, blood, excreta and hazardous materials.

Personal Traits, Qualities and Aptitudes:

• Sensitivity to the impact of life and death issues faced by individuals with terminal illness; tact in dealing with these patients and their families; ability to support others at a time of crisis. Must be able to demonstrate flexibility by performing a variety of tasks, often changing from one to another of a different nature without loss of efficiency or composure. Communicate effectively with people of all socioeconomic backgrounds. Responsible functioning in the work place, maturity, cooperation, flexibility, tact in dealing with co-workers and all members of the hospice team.

Equipment/Tools/Work-Aids:

• Must be able to effectively operate nursing assessment tools, computers, facsimile equipment, copier and cell phone/beeper. Must have and maintain transportation to be used for work.

We Offer

Benefits for All Associates (Full-Time, Part-Time & Per Diem):

• Competitive Pay
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Career Advancement Opportunities
• National & Local Recognition Programs
• Teammate Assistance Fund

Additional Full-Time Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• Mileage Reimbursement or Fleet Vehicle Program
• Generous Paid Time Off + 7 Paid Holidays
• Wellness Programs (Telemedicine, Diabetes Management, Joint & Spine Concierge Care)
• Education Support & Tuition Assistance (ASN to BSN, BSN to MSN)
• Free Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
• Company-paid Life & Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits (Pet, Critical Illness, Accident, LTC)

Ready to Join a Team That Cares?

Apply now to become part of our Hospice Nursing team and help make every moment count for our patients and their loved ones.

Legalese

• This is a safety-sensitive position
• Employee must meet minimum requirements to be eligible for benefits
• Where applicable, employee must meet state specific requirements
• We are proud to be an EEO employer
• We maintain a drug-free workplace

ReqID: 2026-139639

Category: Registered Nurses

Position Type: Full-Time

Company: Heartland Hospice