Nurse Navigator Radiation Oncology

Beth Israel Lahey Health•Peabody, MA

5d•$79,269 - $204,318

About The Position

The Nurse Navigator practices within the Lahey Clinic Professional Practice Model, the Massachusetts Nurse Practice Act, ANA Standards of Practice, and Code of Ethics. Under the general supervision of the Administrative Director and in collaboration with the Associate Chief of Ambulatory Nursing Practice, the role provides individualized, high-quality patient care in collaboration with physicians, other healthcare providers, ambulatory support staff, and other disciplines. The Nurse Navigator is accountable for nursing care and for assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of patients’ plans of care, coordinating care across the continuum and delegating and supervising in accordance with applicable Massachusetts regulations and ANA principles. The Nurse Navigator contacts newly diagnosed cancer patients and/or their families or caregivers to guide them through disease-specific care systems. The role helps patients access timely treatment and survivorship services, identifies and addresses barriers to care, connects patients with community resources and support services, and assists with transitions from active treatment to survivorship. The Nurse Navigator maintains records of patient-related activities, works with disease-specific clinical teams to develop clinical pathways, and serves as a clinical contact for resolving patient concerns. The role reviews medical information before visits, coordinates with disease-specific physicians and referring physicians, collaborates with the research department on outcomes measurement tools, and helps identify clinical trials for which patients may be eligible. The position includes systematic, age-appropriate patient and family assessment; culturally competent care planning; evaluation and adaptation of care based on patient and family responses; patient and family education; professional collaboration; regulatory compliance; quality improvement; and commitment to evidence-based practice and lifelong learning. The Nurse Navigator must maintain the clinical knowledge and technical skills required for the nursing specialty and comply with applicable regulatory and accrediting standards.

Requirements

Graduate of a state-approved and/or accredited School of Nursing.
Current license to practice professional nursing from the Massachusetts Board of Registration.
Current BLS certification.
Acute care medical-surgical experience.
Clinical skills and technical knowledge necessary to provide care according to nursing policies, procedures, and clinic-specific competencies.
Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.
Ability to provide nursing care consistent with the Massachusetts Nurse Practice Act, applicable regulations, ANA standards, and the ANA Code of Ethics.

Responsibilities

Establish contact with newly diagnosed cancer patients and/or their family members or caregivers and guide them through disease-specific care systems.
Understand disease-specific clinical pathways and direct patients to organizational healthcare services for timely treatment and survivorship.
Identify and address barriers that could prevent patients from receiving timely and appropriate cancer treatment.
Connect patients with community resources, healthcare services, and support services.
Assist patients and disease-specific physicians with the transition from active treatment to survivorship.
Maintain records of patient-related activities.
Work with disease-specific clinical teams to develop clinical pathways for appropriate care.
Act as the clinical contact for resolving patient-related concerns.
Ensure medical information is received from referring physicians, review it before patient visits, and discuss it with the disease-specific physician before visits.
Maintain contact with referring physicians to keep them informed of the patient’s plan of care.
Collaborate with the research department to develop outcomes measurement tools.
Assist in identifying clinical trials for which patients may be eligible.
Assess patients and families systematically and develop culturally competent, age-appropriate plans of care with identified problems, expected outcomes, and preventive measures.
Evaluate care effectiveness and adapt plans based on patient and family responses.
Educate patients and families about illness, treatment, and appropriate preventive measures.
Coordinate and provide safe, high-quality nursing care, including assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of care.
Delegate and supervise nursing responsibilities appropriately, including assigning work, teaching and directing delegates, and supervising outcomes.
Maintain current clinical knowledge and technical skills, and comply with regulatory and accrediting standards.
Demonstrate professional conduct, teamwork, regulatory readiness, quality nursing care, evidence-based practice, and lifelong learning.
Participate in departmental or interdepartmental quality improvement activities and complete mandatory education.
Comply with organizational policies, behavioral expectations, and customer service standards; perform other duties as needed or directed.