Description
Provide specialized palliative care for patients with serious or life-limiting illness, emphasizing symptom relief, quality of life, and goal-concordant care. Practice independently and within an interdisciplinary team across inpatient, outpatient, and home settings. Perform comprehensive assessments; order and interpret targeted tests; and prescribe medications, including controlled substances, as permitted. Lead advance care planning and coordinate transitions among services, including hospice. Must be a registered nurse with graduate education and palliative care expertise.
- • Conduct comprehensive palliative assessments, including symptom burden and function.
- • Analyze histories, exams, and diagnostics to set priorities and plans.
- • Manage pain with multimodal strategies and evidence-based opioid titration.
- • Treat non-pain symptoms: dyspnea, nausea, constipation, insomnia, anxiety, delirium.
- • Order and interpret targeted tests for symptom control and medication safety.
- • Identify and manage adverse effects, interactions, and opioid-related risks.
- • Develop individualized, goal-concordant care plans with patients and families.
- • Lead goals-of-care and advance care planning, including code status and POLST.
- • Educate patients and caregivers on symptom self-management and safe medication use.
- • Recommend nonpharmacologic interventions such as breathing, relaxation, and positioning.
- • Prescribe and deprescribe to optimize comfort and reduce polypharmacy.
- • Determine medication routes and dosing, including breakthrough and taper plans.
- • Perform comfort-focused procedures within scope, e.g., wound care and drain/catheter management.
- • Arrange subcutaneous or transdermal delivery systems and bowel regimens as needed.
- • Schedule and conduct follow-ups to reassess symptoms, function, and goals.
- • Coordinate care with oncology, hospitalists, primary care, hospice, social work, and chaplaincy.
- • Refer to specialty services when needs exceed scope, including interventional pain or psychiatry.
- • Facilitate timely transitions to hospice or other appropriate levels of care.
- • Advocate for equitable access to palliative resources, home services, and equipment.
- • Connect families with community resources, respite, and bereavement support.
- • Document goals-of-care, prognostic estimates, and symptom scores.
- • Maintain accurate, compliant records and controlled-substance documentation.
- • Uphold safety, infection control, and secure medication handling policies.
- • Stay current with palliative guidelines, opioid stewardship, and communication best practices.
- • Monitor payer requirements for hospice eligibility, DME, and medication coverage.
- • Maintain knowledge of state and federal rules on NP practice, controlled substances, and directives.
- • Lead or participate in interdisciplinary team meetings and family conferences.
- • Support patients and families through terminal emergencies and the active dying phase.
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O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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Last reviewed: Jan 2026
