VITAS Healthcare

Nurses in this organization provide care to hospice patients in a variety of settings, including private residences, assisted living facilities, and skilled nursing facilities. The organization emphasizes forging compassionate, meaningful connections with patients and their families while helping them understand and embrace the palliative nature of hospice care. The organization employs an interdisciplinary team model, bringing together social workers, physicians, chaplains, and nurses who collaborate to provide holistic support for patients and families. Home care RNs typically make 4-6 visits per day and meet weekly at the local program office for interdisciplinary team coordination. Leadership roles such as Patient Care Managers supervise and coordinate the various members of the interdisciplinary team, assure continuity of care from admission through discharge or transfer to bereavement, and serve as patient advocates and coordinators for external community health care providers involved in patient care. The Schertz location offers relief team management positions designed to cover assigned teams during periods of PTO or FMLA leave, indicating a structured approach to staffing continuity. The role structure suggests a focus on maintaining consistent patient care coverage even during staff absences.

Based on the job descriptions, VITAS Healthcare's mission centers on providing compassionate, comfort-focused end-of-life care that honors the palliative nature of hospice. The organization values holistic, interdisciplinary collaboration, patient advocacy, continuity of care from admission through bereavement, and meaningful connections between nurses, patients, and their families. The emphasis on helping families understand and embrace comfort-focused care suggests a commitment to education and emotional support alongside clinical care.