Palliative Care Nurse Navigator - Main Oncology Admin - Full Time - Days

Job Description

Patient Navigation refers to individualized assistance offered to patients, their families, and caregivers to help overcome health care system barriers and facilitate timely access to quality medical and psychosocial care from diagnosis through all phases of the disease experience.

The primary goals of the Patient Navigator role are to : (1) improve patient outcomes; (2) support, educate, guide and empower the patient / family; (3) bridge gaps in communication and promote timely transition between service providers along the healthcare continuum; (4) provide seamless and efficient patient care; (5) remove barriers to care and minimize fragmentation of care for the patient / family; and (6) provide a consistent contact person and advocate for the patient / family, in order to improve the patient / family experience and satisfaction.

Responsibilities

Assessment

Reviews baseline data related to patient : medical, psychosocial, spiritual, financial, and other patient needs. (This includes review of pathology and test results.)

Assesses educational needs of patient / family related to disease, treatment, side effect management, resources, etc.

Conducts ongoing assessments of patient / family at specific identified time periods (e.g., diagnosis, beginning and end of treatment, recurrence, etc.)

Assesses barriers to care for the patient / family, including health disparities, cognitive, psychosocial, financial, transportation, childcare, etc.

Assesses community resources that are appropriate for the patient / family.

Diagnosis and Planning –

Collaborates with multidisciplinary team to create and / or update patient’s plan of care, which is feasible and understandable to the patient / family.

Assists the patient and family in the treatment planning process :

1) provides education on resources available to support the patient / family during and after treatment

2) helps the patient identify and implement short and long term goals.

Communicates the plan of care with the multidisciplinary team.

Implementation / Coordination of Care –

Provides Services :

• Provides services for a select patient case load.
• Serves as a clinical resource for patients / families at specific points of access (e.g., Imaging, clinics, hospital, palliative care, etc.)
• Maintains communication with patient / family members at defined timeframes in patient’s disease trajectory (e.g., screening, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship / palliative care).
• Serves as a liaison with the multidisciplinary team members and various departments / specialties (both inside and outside of TCH) in order to integrate pertinent patient information for the seamless continuum of care.
• Collaborates with the health care team to communicate with the patient and family regarding referral, treatment, symptom management and follow-up (survivorship or palliative care).
• Uses technologies (e.g., EMR, My Chart, etc.) to enhance communication among patients and health care providers.
• Serves as a professional resource to the team members in the Service Line regarding current trends in care, disease management, side effect management, and community resources.
• Participates regularly in onsite multidisciplinary patient conferences, consultations, and / or committee meetings (e.g., Tumor Board, etc.)
• Promotes evidenced based practice related to area of specialization and applies findings to policies and procedures.
• Plans, implements, and evaluates educational and / or supportive programs for patients / families, staff, and the community on appropriate topics.
• Participates in Community Activities, such as providing education at Health Fairs, church groups, etc.

Remove Barriers :

Evaluation / Outcomes related to Quality Measurements

Identify outcomes related to quality measurements for the Patient Navigation program, such as patient / family / physician satisfaction, accuracy, efficiency, timeliness, etc..

Create and utilize tools to measure the outcomes for the Patient Navigation program.

Review outcome results to ensure that care is delivered to patients in accordance with national professional organization standards, guidelines, and benchmarks.

Documentation –

Leadership –

Professional Development –

1) Supports self and peers in professional growth and development utilizing resources and opportunities within and outside of The Christ Hospital. Acts as a resource, educator and preceptor for staff and nursing students.

2) Completes all educational, requirements to maintain competency related to specific population of patient and / or regulatory agencies (Healthstream education 100% on-time completion and attendance for annual education day). Submits required tests and paperwork in a timely manner without management interventions.

3) Participate in self and peer review activities to include the positive recognition of peers and staff on a regular basis.

4) Prepares for certification related to Patient Navigation and / or specific patient population, when eligible.

5) Participates in chosen / relevant professional organizations, conferences and research, as appropriate.

6) Evaluates nurse-sensitive outcomes and participates in performance improvement initiatives.

7) Participation in research activities is encouraged.

Productivity –

Understands factors related to cost and effective outcomes when planning and implementing patient care.

1) Prioritizes and completes work assignments within allotted time.

2) Initiates care in a timely manner, manages workload effectively.

3) Understands and maintains awareness of fiscal responsibility by utilizing staff, time, equipment, and supplies appropriately.

Qualifications

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS :

EDUCATION : Graduate of an accredited school of nursing. BSN strongly preferred, equivalent combination of Nursing education and RN experience as determined by leadership may be considered. Additional training in Nurse Navigation, Advance Practice, or Nurse Practitioner preferred.

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE : At least 2 years of relevant specialty nursing experience is required (e.g., oncology, surgery, orthopedics, etc.)

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE :

The RN will :

LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS :

The RN holds a current licensure to practice nursing in Ohio, Membership in professional organizations is desirable, BLS certification is required prior to patient contact, Certification in area of clinical specialty is preferred on hire, but is required within one year of becoming eligible for certification.