Nurse Navigator - Full-Time (80 hours per pay period) | Monday–Friday, Flexible hours | Bronson Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Specialists - Kalamazoo

Bronson Healthcare•Kalamazoo, MI

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Nurse Navigator will guide patients through the health care system, providing support and care coordination for vascular patients through the continuum of care. He/She works closely with vascular providers to establish care plans for patients as appropriate. This position will have responsibility for community outreach, working closely with community primary care physicians, surgeons, and specialists, while maintaining a routine presence at Bronson primary care offices. He/she acts as a liaison between the patient and all services required within the system and in the community. The navigator will coordinate care with the wound center, coordinate care for dialysis patients, and be the primary point of contact for nephrologists for patients in Kalamazoo County. He/She will coordinate with the Bronson Battle Creek Vascular Specialists Clinical Supervisor in the care of dialysis patients in Calhoun County and surrounding areas. The navigator offers patients and their families' psychosocial support, access to resources, and educates on disease specifics and treatment options. In addition to care coordination responsibilities, the Nurse Navigator will oversee office-based clinical staff, provide office-based clinic support for staff call-ins, and assist with annual clinical competencies for staff. He/She will, in conjunction with the Practice Manager, onboard new clinical staff and ensure staff are prepared for triennial Joint Commission visits. The Nurse Navigator supports the Practice Manager in developing and maintaining relationships with key physicians, staff, and practice leaders to facilitate timely referrals, creating a ‘frictionless’ experience for patients, providers, and staff. The position works with designated physicians and teams to develop and maintain clinical pathways and measure outcomes. The Nurse Navigator behaves in a professional manner, and consistently demonstrates and promotes the values of respect, honesty, care, and dignity for the patient and all members of the health care team. The Nurse Navigator will support ongoing evaluation, quality improvement and outcomes of vascular patients within their service line scope. Employees providing direct patient care must demonstrate competencies specific to the population served.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Nursing and 5 years of professional nursing in specific service line or related area required
Licensed Registered Nurse in good standing with the State of Michigan
BLS certification required within 6 months of hire.
Must provide evidence of successful completion (or an approved audit) of a CPR training course within the past 2 years or successfully complete a CPR training course (or audit with approval) within 6 months of hire.
Must possess excellent interpersonal, effective problem solving and prioritization skills, and the ability to process information in a confidential manner
Must be able to communicate clearly and effectively with patients, providers and other staff
Has the ability to maintain patient confidentiality, work independently and think as well as function as an integral team member with other healthcare professionals
Must also possess excellent computer skills and have ability to read, interpret, and analyze data from various computer systems and equipment
Must have excellent verbal, written and electronic communication skills
Has the ability to maintain positive customer service
Has the ability to establish effective working relations with patients, staff and physicians in a team environment
Expresses thoughts clearly and concisely
Listens attentively to understand information provided by others. Keeps necessary people informed and up-to-date
Demonstrates effective presentation skills; projects credibility and poise
Can negotiate skillfully in tough situations with both internal and external groups
Can settle differences with minimum noise
Can win concessions without damaging relationships
Can be direct while maintaining diplomacy
Gains trust of patients and providers quickly
Has a good sense of timing
Work which produces high levels of mental/visual fatigue, e.g., interactive and repetitive or small detailed work requiring alertness and concentration for sustained periods of time, the operation of and full attention to a personal computer or CRT between 40 and 70 percent of the time.
Involves regularly lifting of bulky or moderately heavy weights (i.e., up to 50 pounds), and occasionally assisting with heavier tasks or expending the equivalent effort in pushing, pulling, or otherwise handling material, equipment, and other objects. (up to 100 lbs.)

Nice To Haves

Master's degree preferred

Responsibilities

Acts as a liaison between patients, physicians, ancillary and community services within the designated service line throughout the entire patient experience from diagnosis to post-discharge. May make post-discharge phone calls or home visits.
Works cooperatively as a member of the health care team and is responsible for ensuring smooth, efficient transition of care between services.
Assists in getting access to culturally appropriate, supportive care when and where possible. Maintains accurate, confidential records, documenting services provided and unmet needs. Develops and maintains relationships with office staff, hospital department heads, participating medical professionals, and other relevant members of the health care team.
Works with the healthcare team to achieve targeted cost per case goals for assigned patients. Becomes familiar with various insurance and referral policies.
Leads patient education efforts such as classes and support groups. Attends staff, educational, and other meetings as required, presenting information/results as needed.
Maintains an awareness and working knowledge regarding the pace and process of services towards the enhancement of services offered. Participates and/or leads in the re-design of processes and other growth strategies related to operational and financial goals.
Establishes challenging goals that focus on quality, cost, growth and brand identity while maintaining the need and awareness of capacity and other limiting factors to appropriately address these opportunities. Achieves scorecard action plans within parameters established. Keeps administrator and respective Medical Staff Leadership, staff and coordinators informed of progress, issues, etc. that impact the achievement of goals established.
Proactively develops the Nurse Navigator role with the goals of improving the experience for referred patients and the referring physicians.
Works collaboratively with the provider to: Evaluate and implement patient care plan for specified patients in collaboration with the care team. Develop and provide patient and family with appropriate education tools. Reinforce teaching regarding patient plan of care. Ensures that the appropriate tests, diagnostics, and procedures are ordered for patients. Assist with implantation of dynamic patient-centered record. Ensure appropriate primary care and specialist follow up. Provide psychosocial support and access to resources for patient and family.
Works with designated physicians and staff to develop and maintain clinical pathways.
Leads and/or participates in the identification of high-risk patients prior to elective surgery and facilitates the optimization of their health status prior to their scheduled procedure including referrals for co-morbid conditions, weight management and/or smoking cessation.
Participates in multidisciplinary rounds and/or conferences and acts as a resource for clinicians and case managers to assure that patient care plan is followed for the assigned programmatic clinics.
Engages all participating patients and families and makes them aware of plan of care for the episode, information resources, support programs and services. Acts as a representative of the program within the entire community, participating in public speaking and other related activities, especially within the organization.
Maintains any required database for the patients and or program by inputting required patient data, as well as, tracking patient volumes, clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. Establishes action plans that support Bronson's key initiatives for the BP program.
Community outreach - maintain routine presence in Bronson primary care offices.
Coordinate care with wound center/vascular clinic patients
Coordinate care for dialysis patients and serve as primary point of contact for nephrologists and nephrology patients in Kalamazoo County.
Work with the BBC Clinical Supervisor to coordinate care of dialysis patients in Calhoun County
Serve as primary point of contact, and provide prompt responses to clinical concerns from referring offices.
Support the Practice Manager in developing and maintaining relationships with key physicians, staff, and practice leaders to facilitate timely referrals to create a ‘frictionless’ experience for patients, providers, and staff.
Oversee office-based clinical staff
Assist with the onboarding of new clinical staff and annual clinical competencies for staff
Provide office-based clinic support as needed for call-ins
Ensure clinic staff are prepared for triennial Joint Commission visit.
Acts as a representative of the vascular program within the entire community, participating in public speaking and other business development related activities, especially within the organization.
Continually develops the Nurse Navigator role with the goal of improving the quality of care for patients and referring physicians.
Assists with implantation of dynamic patient-centered record.
Is cognizant of the rising cost of healthcare and how that impact consumers (patients).