Job Description

Are you a Nurse Practitioner with a passion for excellence in the delivery of care for people and their families requiring hospice palliative care in the region served by Ontario Health atHome? Are you able to build strong collaborative relationships with local providers of palliative care and are you seeking a rewarding career that cares for others, in a professional practice that cares for you? You’re looking in the right place.

As a Hospice Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner, you will collaborate with inter-professional care teams across the health care continuum including home care, primary care, specialized hospice palliative care, acute care and community supportive care organizations and agencies. You will provide direct care for individuals with hospice palliative care needs when this service would not otherwise be available. You will collaborate with health system partners to promote integration of inter-professional care across the continuum of health care services, and to advance hospice palliative care support.

Whether you work in our office, in the community, or a health care facility – you will play a lead role in providing connected, accessible, patient-centred care – and be supported by our collaborative team that includes over 8,000 regulated health care and other professionals.

As a valued team member, your mission will be to help our patients be healthier at home, while you benefit from our supports for professional growth, personal wellness and work-life balance.

What will you do?

• You will ensure rapid response capacity to provide expert clinical care to complex palliative care patients, including the management of pain, provision of psychosocial support and therapeutic interventions. This may require the ability and capacity to respond to urgent patient issues beyond regular working hours
• Provide expert clinical advice to primary care physicians and community nurses as well as providing home visits to this specific population of patients and their families.
• These home visits will include:
  • • Conducting comprehensive clinical assessments
    • Contributing to the development of comprehevive shared care plans
    • And consideration any psychosocial, cultural or ethnic factors that may impact patient care needs
• Understand and utilize: 1) Standard palliative care assessment tools, such as ESAS, PPS, MMSE, MOCHA;

2) Disease specific classification systems, such as NYHA classification (HF), MRC dyspnea score (COPD, ILD) and dementia functionality scales (FAST [Functional Assessment Staging Tool]).

• Be knowledgeable about the implementation of the Symptom Response Kits (SRKs) in patient “homes”.
• Coordinate an interdisciplinary plan of care and facilitate efficient navigation of the patient through the healthcare system.
• Facilitate ethical decision making consistent with the patient/family goals of care and communicate the plan of care to patients/families and members of the healthcare team.
• Deliver, coordinate and participate in education and professional development activities/programs
• Interpret, communicate and disseminate research findings to support clinical care and recommend policy change
• Provide leadership in quality improvement initiatives and program planning for this specified population of patients.
• Identify opportunities to develop medical directives, participate in their development, implementation and evaluation and directly implement aspects of care based on medical directives.
• Educate and recommend interventions in consultation with primary care providers and the care team, to influence the plan of care for the patient and family.

What must you have?

• Must hold current registration with the College of Nurses of Ontario in the Extended Class Nurse Practitioner Program with a minimum Baccalaureate in Nursing (Masters level degree in Nursing preferred)
• Must have certification as a hospice palliative care nurse with the Canadian Nurses Association CPHCN(C)
• Must have continuing education in Palliative Care; Hospice Palliative Care Nursing Certification preferred
• Minimum 2 yrs. of experience in Palliative Care Nursing (previous work in the community setting an asset)
• Hold current CPR- Level C & AED certification
• Valid Ontario driver’s license and access to a vehicle
• Proficient in a Windows environment
• We have a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy. As a condition of employment, all employees are required to submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination status prior to start date.

What would give you the edge?

• Advanced knowledge of health care management needs and therapeutic intervention for complex palliative care patients, based on the full range of issues categorized in the 8 Domains of Issues Associated with Illness and Bereavement, including Disease Management; Physical; Psychological; Social; Spiritual; Practical (activities of daily living, dependents, pets, telephone access, transportation); End of Life Care/Death Management; and Loss and Grief
• Advanced knowledge of the management of pain and other symptoms, including a range of therapeutic interventions
• Advanced knowledge of pharmacology in selecting, prescribing, monitoring and dispensing drugs
• Awareness of cultural, ethnic and religious diversity
• Understanding of the health care system and the complexities of the Hospice Palliative Care Team

What do we offer?

We know wellness is supported with work-life balance. In an inclusive culture committed to support your passion for continuous learning, growth and innovation, we offer: ​

• Attractive comprehensive compensation packages and benefits​
• Valuable development opportunities​
• Membership in a world class defined benefit pension plan
• Salary: $56.10 - $70.63/hour

Who are we?

We are Ontario Health atHome, ready to serve every person in Ontario. We partner with patients and caregivers, family physicians, hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes, service providers and Ontario Health Teams, to deliver responsive, accessible, integrated, patient-centred care.

Why join us?

If you’re interested in driving excellence in care and service delivery, and seeking an unparalleled opportunity to lead and learn, partner and connect, care and be cared for, this is your home.

Equity, Inclusion, Diversity and Anti-Racism Commitment

Ontario Health atHome is committed to a culture of equity, inclusion, diversity and anti-racism. We are committed to attracting, engaging and developing a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified applicants. Accommodations for persons with disabilities required during the recruitment process are available upon request.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Closing Date: Posted Until Filled

Job Title: Hospice Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner

Job Type: Permanent Full Time

Hours in a Bi-weekly Period: seventy (70)

FTE: 1.0

Reports To: Manager, Patient Services

Department: Patient Services

Group: ONA

Location: Belleville, Trenton, Picton