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“The most rewarding thing is when you get a call back from a patient or family member saying that the nurse was wonderful and helped them through the process.”
– Nicole, Hospice Director of Clinical Services
At Compassus, we are dedicated to compassionate care, clinical excellence and providing comfort and support to patients and their families facing the end of life. As the Hospice Director of Clinical Services you will lead a team of Interdisciplinary professionals who are taking care of patients at the bedside every day. You will coach, influence and mentor your team to strive for excellence in service and quality. For many of our team members, this is more than a career — it’s a calling.
Do you want to make a difference in the lives of others? Join our team today as the Hospice Director of Clinical Services to positively impact the experiences of our patients and families.
Position Summary
As the Hospice Director of Clinical Services (DCS), you will direct and lead the Interdisciplinary team, helping to meet the needs of the hospice patient and family in a manner consistent with the guidelines and policies of Compassus. Your team consists of Nurses, Nurse Aides, Social Workers, Spiritual Care Providers, a Volunteer Coordinator, a Bereavement Coordinator, a Team Coordinator, and many other support functions to create a fulfilling experience for our patients and their families. You will be the hub for communication regarding patient care and will promote a positive working relationship with the family, physician, and others involved in their care.
Principal Accountabilities
- Directly supervises up to 20 colleagues. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, training and terminating (with administrative approval) all interdisciplinary staff; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining colleagues; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
- Reads and incorporates into practice the requirements of the Hospice Conditions of Participation for Medicare, applicable accreditation standards, and state or other rules and regulations as applicable to the program.
- Oversees the consultative process between the Medical Director and the members of the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT), assists in requesting appropriate care orders and attendance to identified patient needs if patient’s attending physician is not available.
- Attends/Leads Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) meetings, ensuring:
- Patient care needs are identified and discussed with the full complement of the IDT.
- All required members of the core team are present and engaged in the IDT meeting.
- Required documentation is completed during and at the conclusion of the IDT meeting to capture the discussion and outcomes of the meeting.
- Patient re-certifications are discussed and completed in a timely manner.
- Documentation of the patient-centered plan of care and the implementation of interventions for patient care including changes in level of care, medication changes, changes to visit frequency, or need for emergency transportation.
- Participates in the development and update of patient care policies and emergency procedures.
- Ensures hospice services are available 24/7.
- Follows state regulatory requirements for supervision of nursing services.
- Manages all members of the IDT including aspects of scheduling, productivity, mentoring, pay practices, time keeping, performance reviews, and colleague support.
- Models desired behaviors including timeliness, punctuality, attendance, collaboration, open communication, and equitable treatment.
- Documents in the patient’s clinical record when required; demonstrates proficiency with documentation requirements.
- Actively collaborates regarding QAPI activities and provides feedback and input into Performance Improvement.
- Participates in performance improvement programs.
- Promotes hospice philosophy.
- Upholds a personal philosophy of integrity and commitment; communicates proactively when schedule changes are needed.
- Analyzes and reports on quality metrics including Hospice Item Set, CAHPS, and symptom management outcomes.
- Establishes departmental goals consistent with corporate goals and objectives.
- Supervises patient and family care as specified by the plan of care, assessing appropriateness, continuity, service, and quality of care.
- Models and facilitates communication between colleagues including medical records, business office, intake, clinical team, and leadership.
- Participates in care delivery for patients as needed including conducting admissions, recertification visits, routine visits, and discharge visits.
- Manages the care for a caseload of patients if needed to support ebb and flow of census changes.
- Participates in after-hours shifts as needed including primary and back-up on-call.
- Serves as the administrator on call when scheduled.
- Make and/or delegate post-admissions calls.
- Directs responsibility for the management of Pharmacy, Medical Supplies, Durable Medical Equipment, Mileage and Labor for program to meet budget expectations.
- May be designated the administrator or alternate administrator for the licensure of the program based on state requirements.
- Ensures maximum utilization of resources.
- Promotes a positive and collaborative culture.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS 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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Education and/or Experience
Registered Nurse with minimum of three years in Healthcare required, preferably in Nursing Facility, Home Health or Hospice setting. Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred. BSN a plus. Experience in leadership or management strongly preferred. Experience with Electronic Medical Record systems a strong plus.
Specific state requirements:
- California – “Director of Patient Care Services”
- 1. A Registered Nurse with a baccalaureate or higher degree in nursing or another health-related field with three years of experience within the last five years in a hospice or home health agency, primary care clinic or health facility, at least one year of which was in a supervisory or administrative capacity.
- 2. A Registered Nurse with four years’ experience within the last five years in a hospice, home health agency, primary care clinic or health facility, at least one year of which was in a supervisory or administrative capacity.
- Connecticut – An agency supervisor of clinical services shall be a registered nurse with an active license to practice nursing in this state, and shall have one of the following:
- (1) A master’s degree from a program approved by the National League for Nursing or the American Public Health Association with a minimum of one year full-time clinical experience in a home health agency or related community health program which included care of the sick at home; or
- (2) A baccalaureate degree in nursing and a minimum of three years of full-time clinical experience in nursing, at least one of which was in a home health agency or community health program which included care of the sick at home; or
- (3) A registered nurse who has been continuously employed in the position of supervisor of clinical services in a home health agency in this state since January 1, 1979; or
- (4) A diploma in nursing or an associates’ degree in nursing and
- (A) A minimum of three years of full-time or full-time equivalent clinical experience in nursing within the past five years, at least one year of which was in a home health care agency or community health program which included care of the sick at home; and
- (B) Evidence of certification by the American Nurses’ Association as a community health nurse or completion of at least six credits received within two years in community health nursing theory or six credits in health care management from an accredited college or university program or school of nursing.
- Louisiana – Registered Nurse with at least three years of experience. One of the three must be full time in hospice, home health care or oncology. The Director of Nursing Services cannot be concomitantly employed by any other licensed healthcare agency.
- Mississippi – Registered Nurse with at least three years of experience. One of the three must be full time in hospice, home health care or oncology. The Director of Nursing Services cannot be concomitantly employed by any other licensed healthcare agency.
- Maine – Registered Nurse with at least 1 year of experience and training in hospice nursing care.
- New Hampshire – RN, APRN or bachelor’s degree in a health field related to hospice care.
- New Jersey – Registered Nurse plus:
- A master’s degree in nursing or a health related field and two years combined public/community health nursing and progressive management experience in public health nursing; or
- A bachelors’ of science degree in nursing or a health related field and three years combined public/community health nursing and progressive management experience in public health nursing.
- South Carolina – Registered Nurse plus:
- Bachelor’s degree, or
- Associate Degree and three years’ experience in health care within the last five years.
- Texas – Registered Nurse in Texas and have one year experience as a Registered Nurse in the last 36 months. Must qualify or be able to qualify as the delegated back-up administrator per T.A.C 40-1-97.259, including required education/ clock hours of training.
- Virginia – Registered Nurse with education and experience in the needs of the terminally ill.
Mathematical Skills
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percentage.
Language Skills
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, patients, colleagues, physicians and the general public. Must be able to read, write and speak English. Bilingual ability may be preferred or required.
Reasoning Ability
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions and deal with several abstract and concrete variables. Ability to think critically and perform continuous in-depth clinical/business process reviews.
Computer Skills
To perform this job successfully an individual should be proficiency in Microsoft Office software.
Other Qualifications
Understanding and acceptance of hospice philosophy. Must be of high integrity including maintenance of confidential information including all personnel and patient records. Ability to work a flexible schedule, to include some evenings and weekends. Must be able to travel.
Certifications, Licenses and Registrations
Must be a Registered Nurse licensed in the state of employment. Certification in Hospice and Palliative Nursing a plus but not required. Must have a valid driver’s license and auto liability insurance.
Other Skills and Abilities
Strong leadership, organizational and interpersonal skills.
Compassus, including all Compassus affiliates, complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Compassus, including all Compassus affiliates, does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.