Nurse Navigator- Neurosurgery HCM - USA Health Physicians Group

USA Health•Mobile, AL

About The Position

The Nurse Navigator provides dedicated clinical oversight to a specific vulnerable patient population within a department. The role acts as an intermediary across service lines and care pathways, helping ensure that care remains coordinated and patient-centered throughout the disease process and transitions. The position assists providers with outpatient medical management and participates in direct patient care, including assessments, vital signs, specialty-specific procedures and testing, injections, wound care, and phlebotomy. The Nurse Navigator serves as a primary contact, advocate, and information resource for patients, caregivers, care teams, payers, and community resources. The role coordinates communication, prescriptions, medical equipment, home health or hospice orders, insurance authorizations, patient education, referrals, tests, procedures, appointments, and treatments. It supports patients and caregivers through transitions between inpatient and outpatient care, procedures and surgery, rehabilitation, and specialty clinics, including rounding as needed to provide care-plan updates and education. The position collaborates with providers and other disciplines to monitor patient care, address barriers, connect patients with supportive services, and identify opportunities to improve care plans, tools, and pathways. The employee must complete required department, educational, and hospital requirements; adhere to infection-control and safety standards; maintain regular and prompt attendance; and work the defined schedule, with overtime as required. Employees in regular positions working at least 20 hours per week (0.50 FTE or greater) qualify for benefits.

Requirements

Graduation from an accredited school of nursing or practical nursing that meets the minimum standards set by the state of Alabama.
Three years of related experience; a master's degree may substitute for one year of the required experience.
Current LPN state licensure, or RN state licensure and/or compact-state licensure in accordance with the Nurse Licensure Compact for Alabama.
A comparable combination of education and experience may substitute for the stated requirements.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree.
One year of related experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide dedicated clinical oversight to a specific vulnerable patient population within a department.
Coordinate across service lines and care pathways to help maintain an intact, patient-centered care plan throughout the disease process and care transitions.
Assist providers with the medical management of outpatients in the clinic.
Participate in direct patient care, including assessments, vital signs, specialty-specific procedures and testing, injections, wound care, and phlebotomy.
Manage calls and messages from patients, families, health care providers, and pharmacies so that needs, questions, and treatments are addressed promptly.
Communicate with the overseeing provider to obtain orders for prescriptions, medical equipment, home health or hospice, and required insurance authorizations.
Serve as the primary contact, advocate, and information resource for patients, care teams, families and caregivers, payers, and community resources.
Educate patients and caregivers about the ongoing care plan, medications and side effects, diagnostic and follow-up schedules, and symptom management.
Document patient teaching, including teaching provided to family and others, based on assessed needs and patient requests.
Coordinate care for patients and caregivers and provide emotional support.
Support primary care and specialty-provider co-management through timely communication, inquiry, follow-up, and integration of information into care plans, transitions, and referrals.
Coordinate tests, procedures, appointments, and treatments across health care disciplines and help patients overcome barriers such as transportation and financial constraints.
Refer patients to supportive services, including nutritionists, social workers, counselors, and financial counselors.
Establish referral processes for each clinical area.
Monitor patients throughout their care in the health system, including working with patients and caregivers during inpatient stays to support understanding and continuation of the care plan after discharge.
Round on patients as needed to update care plans and provide education.
Provide ongoing education to patients and caregivers during transitions, including inpatient and outpatient care, procedural or surgical care, rehabilitation admission or discharge, and specialty-clinic care.
Work with providers to monitor the patient population, analyze care plans and resources, and identify opportunities to develop tools or care pathways.
Complete mandatory department, educational, and hospital requirements.
Adhere to current infection-control and safety standards.
Maintain regular and prompt attendance and work the defined schedule, including overtime as required.
Perform related duties as assigned.