Nurse Navigator Cancer Center Full time

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare • Geneva, IL

4d

About The Position

The Nurse Navigator is a clinically competent registered professional nurse who coordinates multidisciplinary patient care using the nursing process and reflects Northwestern Medicine’s mission, vision, and values. The role requires end-of-life experience in palliative care or hospice; experience triaging patients by phone in an ambulatory setting is ideal. The Nurse Navigator follows professional nursing standards and applicable organizational, regulatory, and accreditation requirements.

The position coordinates care for new patients, including collecting and analyzing information, arranging appropriate multidisciplinary appointments, triaging patient needs, and helping develop a collaborative plan of care. The Nurse Navigator assesses patients and families for ongoing needs, identifies risks and barriers, makes timely referrals, and provides education about diagnoses, care processes, therapies, and testing. The role also supports care transitions, uses research evidence to guide practice, stays informed about relevant research trials, and collaborates with research staff regarding potentially eligible patients. The Nurse Navigator serves as a resource to non-clinical staff and makes clinical decisions grounded in critical thinking and patient safety.

Requirements

• Current experience within the past five years.
• Completion of an accredited Registered Nurse program with a BSN.
• Registered Nurse license in the state of Illinois (LIC RN).
• BLS certification.
• Basic computer knowledge.
• Ability to communicate effectively in English, verbally and in writing.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Work consistently within the Illinois Practice Act for Nursing and ANA Standards of Professional Nursing Practice.
• Ability to assess when an interpreter is required and use interpreter services effectively.

Nice To Haves

• One year of acute-care experience in a hospital setting and/or one year of outpatient experience; preferred experience is within the last four years of employment.
• Prior case management or patient navigation experience in an acute or outpatient setting.
• Basic EPIC EMR knowledge.
• End-of-life experience in palliative care or hospice; ambulatory phone-triage experience is ideal.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate effectively with patients, significant others, and healthcare team members while maintaining ANA standards of professional nursing practice.
• Assess and reassess patients and families for ongoing care needs, recognize high-risk criteria, and initiate timely referrals to appropriate resources.
• For new patients, collect and analyze data, coordinate multidisciplinary care and appointments, triage information, and schedule patients appropriately.
• Coordinate new patients for multidisciplinary clinics in collaboration with patients, families, physicians, and ancillary staff.
• Assist in creating a plan of care that reflects collaboration and communication.
• Use available evidence, including research findings, to guide practice decisions.
• Stay aware of current research trials and collaborate with research staff regarding new patients who may be eligible.
• Serve as a resource to non-clinical staff responding to prospective patients seeking information.
• Explain the rationale for clinical decisions using critical thinking.
• Perform patient care in a manner that optimizes safety and reduces the likelihood of medical or healthcare errors.
• Identify learning needs, abilities, preferences, readiness, support systems, coping mechanisms, and barriers to learning; make referrals as appropriate.
• Educate patients, families, and caregivers about diagnosis, care processes, therapies, and testing.
• Assist with transitions in care and between providers.
• Pursue personal development and growth beyond routine required educational sessions.
• Assess when an interpreter is needed and use interpreter services effectively.

Benefits

• Tuition reimbursement
• Loan forgiveness
• 401(k) matching
• Lifecycle benefits
• A range of benefits intended to support physical, emotional, and financial well-being and provide protection for unexpected life events

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time