Nurse Navigator

UPMC•Harrisburg, PA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

UPMC Central PA is seeking an experienced Heart Failure Nurse Navigator to support patients across inpatient and outpatient settings within its nationally recognized Heart Failure Program. The position is based across Harrisburg Hospital, Community General (Bloom), and Mechanicsburg at 2020 Technology Parkway, with potential support at Carlisle, Hanover, and Memorial sites. The navigator works at one site per day. The Nurse Navigator coordinates and advocates for patients and families throughout screening, diagnosis, treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation. The role provides specialized nursing care, emotional support, education, and coordination of tests, treatments, referrals, and appointments. It also supports care transitions, patient self-management, heart failure quality metrics, and care standards, while collaborating with providers and interdisciplinary teams. The role contributes to patient and staff education, community health programming, quality improvement, and the integration of current research and technology into practice. The position typically reports to a Department or Nurse Manager.

Requirements

Current Registered Nurse licensure in the practicing state, or an applicable multistate license issued by a participating Nursing Licensure Compact state.
Prior clinical experience; the role is not open to new graduates.
3–5 years of current clinical experience.
Cardiac experience.
Current certification in the specialty or obtain it within one year.
CPR based on AHA standards, including a didactic and skills demonstration component, within 30 days of hire.
Basic Life Support (BLS) or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
Act 34 clearance.
Strong communication, organization, and patient advocacy skills.
Demonstrated clinical competence focused on wellness and disease prevention.
Strong leadership, communication, and self-direction skills.
Ability to think critically and exercise independent clinical judgment.
Employees working on an out-of-state NLC license who change residency to the state where the facility is located must apply for licensure in that state within 60 days of the residency change.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in nursing preferred.
Heart failure experience preferred.
Experience with the relevant patient population preferred.

Responsibilities

Guide patients and families, in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team, regarding diagnostic and treatment options; provide emotional support, specialized care, and education; and act as care coordinator and patient advocate.
Use the nursing process to provide comprehensive nursing care, support, and education during screening and diagnostic tests, treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation.
Provide specialty knowledge to health care professionals and patients and families, and work with the interdisciplinary team to address staff education and development needs.
Consider age-specific and individual needs when obtaining and interpreting information, and provide health promotion, disease prevention, and nursing care with awareness of developmental status, culture, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
Integrate current research findings and technology into practice, performance improvement, and education as appropriate.
Participate in evaluating patient care and programs through quality improvement; identify and coordinate improvement activities, monitor and evaluate outcomes, and participate in implementing change.
Monitor changes in legislation and regulations and ensure timely, consistent action.
Deliver service consistent with UPMC's service excellence commitment by responding responsibly, sensitively, accurately, promptly, coordinately, and thoroughly to the needs of patients, families, physicians, and coworkers.
Assess and address educational needs of patients and the community, contribute to the evaluation and development of patient education materials, and provide individualized teaching.
Provide staff development and serve as a clinical resource and consultant to the interdisciplinary team, identifying additional resources as needed.
Coordinate tests, treatments, referrals, and appointments to meet patients' and families' physical, spiritual, and psychosocial needs; provide clinical support and patient care during procedures.
Work with the team to plan, develop, market, and implement community health and wellness education programs and health care services, emphasizing specialty care.
Support heart failure patients across inpatient and outpatient settings; promote adherence to heart failure quality metrics and care standards, patient education, self-management, care coordination, and smooth transitions.
Collaborate closely with providers and care teams.