Physician Assistant​/Geriatrics​/Maine​/Locum Tenens​/Physician Assistant​/Nurse Practitioner ? Palliative Care

Position Summary:
The Palliative Care Advanced Practice Provider (APP) is an integral member of the interdisciplinary palliative care team delivering goal-concordant care to residents in long-term care and skilled nursing facility settings. This role emphasizes high-quality communication, symptom management, and alignment of medical treatment with patient and family values. The APP will work under the guidance of a board-certified palliative care physician and in collaboration with the patient?s

broader care team, including primary medical providers, nursing, social work, therapy, and facility leadership.

Key Responsibilities:

• Palliative Patient Care:
• Conduct comprehensive assessments of residents with serious illness, including symptom burden, functional status, and psychosocial needs.
• Initiate and adjust management plans for pain, dyspnea, delirium, constipation, nausea, anxiety, depression, and other distressing symptoms in collaboration with the palliative care physician.
• Monitor and adjust pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic symptom interventions with attention to safety, efficacy, and comfort.
• Goals of Care and Advance Care Planning:
• Engage residents and families in compassionate, culturally sensitive discussions around goals of care, code status, and advance directives.
• Document advance care planning conversations in accordance with facility and regulatory guidelines.
• Collaborate with the primary team to align care plans with resident and family wishes, ensuring clarity of intent and communication.
• Transitions and End-of-Life Planning:
• Assist in identifying residents appropriate for hospice referral and facilitate timely transitions when indicated.
• Support end-of-life care planning, including symptom anticipation, family support, and hospice coordination.
• Interdisciplinary
  
  Collaboration:
  
  
• Participate in weekly or bi-weekly interdisciplinary palliative care rounds.
• Communicate with the attending primary care provider and broader medical team to ensure coordination and continuity of care.
• Collaborate closely with social workers, chaplains, and nursing teams to address psychosocial, spiritual, and caregiver needs.
• Education and Support:
• Provide bedside education to residents, families, and staff on disease progression, treatment expectations, and comfort-focused care strategies.
• Serve as a resource for facility staff to enhance understanding of palliative principles and symptom management protocols.
• Documentation and Billing:
• Document patient visits, care plans, and communications in the medical record within 24 hours of encounter.
• Submit billing documentation consistent with regulatory requirements and palliative care coding standards.
• Quality and Compliance:
• Contribute to palliative care quality improvement initiatives, including symptom tracking, family satisfaction, and facility-specific outcome measures.
• Adhere to evidence-based guidelines and facility protocols related to palliative and end-of-life care.
• Professional Development:
• Maintain active licensure and pursue ongoing education in palliative and geriatric care.
• Attend case conferences, journal clubs, and in-service trainings as directed by the palliative care medical director.

Position Details:

• Position is based in long-term care and skilled nursing facilities, requiring direct patient and family interaction.
• APP will work four days per week, with on-site responsibilities during daytime hours and participation in rotating call schedules as assigned.
• Call will be remote, limited to covering urgent needs related to palliative care cases.

Requirements:

• Ability to conduct in-room evaluations, attend care plan meetings, and engage in bedside family conferences.
• Physical stamina to support active movement throughout large facility campuses.
• Capacity to respond with emotional resilience to residents and families experiencing serious illness and grief.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $ - $ per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person