RN Nurse Navigator - Hope Oncology Clinic

Job Summary:

The Nurse Navigator is a professional RN with service line specific clinical knowledge who offers individualized assistance across the care continuum to patients, families, and caregivers to expedite and coordinate care, and address health system barriers.  The Nurse Navigator assumes responsibility for the coordination of patient care through interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary collaboration to achieve optimal patient outcomes with a focus on high-risk patients or those with complex care needs (including multidisciplinary care).  The Nurse Navigator has a particular focus on improving transitions in care and adherence to care.  Additionally, the Nurse Navigator functions as a clinical advocate and educator for patients.

The Nurse Navigator assists to build and maintain community relationships to provide expedited and reliable quality care.  The Nurse Navigator identifies and alleviates stressors during transitions and barriers to care with the aim to deliver a seamless model of care that benefits patients, family members, providers, and the healthcare team.

Major Responsibilities / Duties / Critical Tasks:

·         Assess and facilitate coordination of multidisciplinary care across the care continuum.  Provide communication, advocacy, and education in a culturally competent manner.

·         Ability to clinically triage new patient referrals efficiently, to ensure timely access to care.

·         Collaborate with multidisciplinary care team and expedite sequence of patients’ workup and active treatment.

·         Provide communication and reinforcement of clinical information and serve as a conduit between patient and providers/clinicians to address needs of patients.

·         Assess and document patients needs, goals, and preferences and work to ensure such are integrated into treatment and care delivery.

·         Bridge gaps in care and assess/troubleshoot care transitions and barriers to care.  Facilitate advanced care planning and transition of active treatment.

·         Encourage and empower patients to actively participate in decision-making about their treatment and care.

·         Practice according to professional and legal standards

·         Maintain navigation services documentation according to program standards.

·         Proficient in review of medical records and other patient care information.

·         Review patient testing and other clinical documents to ensure that all that are necessary and or required are present prior to patients’ initial appointment.

·         Order all additional testing that is required, and results present prior to the patients’ initial appointment.

·         Assist patients in accessing cancer care and navigating health care systems.

·         Empower patients to communicate their preferences and priorities for treatment to their health care team,

·         Follow established standardized processes and actively engage to improve them.

·         Establishes and maintains rapport, promotes collaborative communication among a group of diverse healthcare providers, also maintains an effective working relationship with these individuals.

·         Functions as liaison with referring services

·         Acts as a resource to hospital personnel regarding care and coordination of services for patients.

·         Coordinates scheduling with other modalities and departments as needed.

Accompanying Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Competencies:

·         Understanding of JCAHO requirements.

·         Provide high quality customer service to patients at the Cancer Center.

·         Maintain patient confidentiality.

Required Education / Experience:

·         Graduate from an accredited RN School of Nursing.  BSN preferred.

·         Minimum 5 years of experience in oncology, out-patient preferred.