Cancer Care Coordinator - Surgical Oncology

American Addiction Centers•Grafton, ND

5d•$41 - $62•Hybrid

About The Position

The Cancer Care Coordinator - Surgical Oncology provides for continuity of care by ensuring smooth transitions between care settings according to critical pathways. They develop a relationship with the patient and their primary care physician to facilitate and/or navigate through a cancer diagnosis, subsequent treatment, and follow-up. This role personalizes the approach to patients with cancer to maximize service management. The coordinator completes a nursing assessment focusing on the disease site, identifies individualized needs, and integrates with other departments to develop a plan of care, providing evidence-based practice. They guide patients through the diagnostic phase, track testing and diagnostic reports, and provide biopsy procedure follow-up calls. Communication and collaboration with physicians, hospital departments, healthcare providers, and community agencies are key. The coordinator refers patients to appropriate resources such as Financial Counseling, cancer counseling center services, and clinical trials nurses, acting as an advocate for patients with cancer. They maintain contact with patients requiring ongoing support, identify those with compromised coping skills or lack of social support, and facilitate support groups. Collaboration with other caregivers to develop optimal systems for effective patient/family outcomes is essential. The role also involves providing in-services and education to staff, assisting leadership with interviews, orientation, and training. Patients and their families are counseled and educated on prevention and early detection of cancers for which they may be at risk. Patient education materials are evaluated and selected or designed. The coordinator actively seeks opportunities to promote awareness of specific cancer disease site programs through community education and outreach. They partner with leadership to develop a vision for patient care in specific disease site programs, participate in developing annual goals and objectives, and contribute to Quality programs evaluating costs, patient care, and customer satisfaction, utilizing data to implement best practices. Analysis of variances in standard treatment guidelines (NCCN guidelines algorithms) is performed to improve quality and efficiency, control costs, and provide a systematic approach to patient care. The role requires demonstrating knowledge and skills appropriate for the age of the patients served, understanding principles of growth and development, assessing patient status, and interpreting information to meet age-specific needs.

Requirements

Registered Nurse license issued by the state in which the team member practices
Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) needs to be obtained within 6 months unless department leader has determined it is not required.
Associate's Degree in Nursing.
Typically requires 5 years of experience in clinical nursing.
Working knowledge of the components of quality and acute patient care needs specifically related to the area/function in which care management will be performed.
Excellent analytical and interpersonal communication skills necessary to negotiate with families, patient, physicians and third party payers for optimum plan.
Demonstrated ability to work well with physicians and other professionals in a direct and positive manner.
Demonstrated ability to operate all equipment necessary to perform the job, i.e., FAX, computer, copier, telephone system.
Manual dexterity required for operation computer and calculator.
Visual acuity required to facilitate review of written documents/computer screens, medical records, and to record information accurately.
Clear oral communications and hearing acuity required for receiving instructions and converse on standard telephone.
Functional speech and hearing to allow for effective communication of instructions and conversation over the telephone.

Nice To Haves

Some travel with surgical team may be required

Responsibilities

Provides for continuity of care by ensuring smooth transitions between care settings according to critical pathways (algorithms).
Develops a relationship with patient and their primary care physician to facilitate and/or navigate through a cancer diagnosis, subsequent treatment and follow-up to reflect continuity of care.
Personalizes the approach to patients with cancer to maximize service management.
Completes a nursing assessment with a focus on disease site which has program accountability and identifies the patient's individualized needs.
Integrates with other departments and disciplines to develop plan of care.
Provides evidence-based practice in the role as cancer care coordinator.
Guides patients with suspected cancer through the diagnostic phase.
Tracks the testing and diagnostic reports through the system to ensure timeliness.
Provides biopsy procedure follow-up phone calls as needed.
Communicates necessary information and collaborates with physicians/office staffs, hospital departments/staff, health care providers, other disciplines and community agencies regarding the patient diagnosed with cancer.
Refers patients to appropriate resources (i.e., Financial Counseling, cancer counseling center services, clinical trials nurse for research programs).
Acts as advocate for patients with cancer.
Maintains contact with patients requiring ongoing support as necessary.
Identifies patients with compromised coping skills or lack of social support.
Facilitates support group for patient with cancer and family members/significant others.
Collaborates with other caregivers to develop optimal systems, which achieve the most effective patient/family outcomes.
Provides in-services and education offerings to staff.
Assists leadership in the interview process and with orientation and training of staff, student nurses, etc.
Counsels and educates patients and their family members on issues of prevention and the early detection of other cancers in which they might be of risk.
Evaluates and selects or designs patient education materials on specific disease site programs.
Actively seeks opportunities to promote awareness of specific cancer disease site program.
Provides community education/outreach, e.g., health fairs, phone banks, Cancer Awareness month.
Provides workshops, seminars and presentations to audiences in the professional and lay community.
Partners with leadership staff in cancer services to develop a vision for the care of patients in the specific disease site program.
Participates in the development of the annual goals and objectives for the program services and in the development, implementation and maintenance of Quality programs that include evaluation of costs, patient care, and customer satisfaction.
Utilizes data to implement "best practices".
Analyzes variances in standard treatment guidelines (NCCN guidelines algorithms) for initiatives with cancer to improve quality and efficiency, control costs, and provide systematic approach to the patient's total care.
Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served.
Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs, and to provide the care needed as described in the department's policies and procedures.

Benefits

Comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs
Competitive compensation
Generous retirement offerings
Programs that invest in your career development
Paid Time Off programs
Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave
Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
Educational Assistance Program