Clinical Nurse-Ambulatory Navigator

IU Health•Bloomington, IN

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Clinical Nurse - Ambulatory Navigator coordinates the care needs of assigned patients and develops comprehensive plans to manage care delivery across the patient care continuum. Partners with patients and their primary physicians to develop customized care plans based on individual needs and preferences. Collaborate with physicians, nurses, health professionals, social workers, and others to ensure appropriate tests and treatments are delivered in a timely fashion. Acts as an advocate for the patient, balancing care needs and financial considerations to ensure efficient and effective treatments. The Clinical Nurse - Ambulatory Navigator plays a vital role in coordinating patient care, developing personalized care plans, and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to optimize treatment delivery. The role emphasizes patient advocacy, care management, and efficient resource utilization, ensuring a seamless continuum of care tailored to each patient's unique needs.

Requirements

Associates of Nursing (ASN) required.
Active Registered Nurse (RN) license in Indiana or Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) RN license.
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through the American Heart Association (AHA).
Knowledge of personal computers, word processing, and database software.
Understanding of medical terminology, medical record requirements, regulations, and policies.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor of Nursing (BSN) preferred.
Additional advanced life support certifications may be required per department policies.
Specialty certifications may be required depending on department/provision of care.
3-5 years of clinical work experience preferred.
3-5 years of Oncology experience Strongly Preferred, OCN preferred
Obtains either Chemotherapy/Biotherapy certification or attends ONS Fundamentals Course
Obtains LION (Leadership in Oncology Navigation) certification within 3 months of hire
Obtains OCN (Oncology Certified Nurse) within 3 years of hire
Recommend ONN-CG (Oncology Nurse Navigator-Certified Generalist) certification within 5 years of hire.

Responsibilities

Navigates oncology patients across the continuum of care beginning with the diagnosis of cancer to survivorship, by streamlining and coordinating patient appointments, specialist referrals, diagnostic imaging, and treatments across multiple providers and facilities.
Perform comprehensive clinical assessments to identify physical, emotional, and financial barriers to care. Anticipate and mitigate obstacles to help the patient adhere to their treatment plan.
Collaborates with the multi-disciplinary team to ensure continuity of care from one provider to the next. Tracks the patient closely and ensures that care is smoothly coordinated among disciplines using established tracking system.
Completes the Survivorship Plan of care when the patient completes therapy, facilitates discussion with the patient and mailing/scanning of the Plan of Care.
Communicates with physicians and other members of the interdisciplinary team, within IU Health, as well as with outside providers.
Coordinates scheduling of appointments with multidisciplinary teams to ensure timely referral and transition into specialty services.
Develops a familiarity in the chemotherapy protocols to support patients during chemotherapy treatment.
Educate patients and families on specific cancer diagnoses, treatment options, potential side effects, and survivorship. Translate complex clinical data into easily understandable information to promote shared decision-making.
Provides information on maintaining optimal health and prevention of Cancer Recurrence including instruction on the importance of regular visit to their provider for exams, clinical follow up and imaging as recommended by their provider, maintaining proper nutrition and exercise.
Connect patients with critical support services, including financial counselors, nutritional counseling, social work, transportation assistance, and support groups.
Participate actively in multidisciplinary tumor boards and care conferences, and navigation team meetings. Communicate recommendations back to the patient and integrate them into the overall care path.
Participates in community outreach programs.
Collaborate with physicians and research teams to screen patients for clinical trial eligibility, facilitating enrollment and tracking as appropriate.
Maintain accurate and detailed documentation of patient interactions, interventions, and navigation pathways within the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.
Track program metrics to evaluate navigation outcomes and programmatic efficacy, including National Accreditation Standards.