Oncology Nurse Navigator Life With Cancer

Inova • Fairfax, VA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Life With Cancer is seeking a dedicated Oncology Nurse Navigator for the Inova Schar Cancer Institute Fair Oaks location. This full-time, day-shift, exempt position works Monday through Friday and provides holistic, systematic therapeutic care across the hospital, community, and continuum of care for people with past, current, or potential cancer diagnoses.

The navigator guides patients and their families from diagnosis and testing through treatment, follow-up, and survivorship. The role coordinates care, connects patients with clinical and community resources, advocates for patient-centered outcomes, and helps address barriers and financial, psychosocial, functional, or administrative concerns. The navigator provides education, emotional support, counseling, and expert guidance so patients and families can understand their options and participate meaningfully in care decisions.

Working with patients, caregivers, physicians, multidisciplinary teams, community services, and program leadership, the navigator assesses health and psychosocial needs, develops and coordinates care plans, tracks patient data, and contributes to quality improvement and program development. The role also supports community outreach, disease-specific support groups, professional education, and compliance with cancer program accreditation standards.

Requirements

• Three to five years of progressive clinical nursing experience with primary care management of the patient population.
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through the American Heart Association.
• Oncology certification within two years of employment.
• Strong oncology knowledge.
• Basic knowledge of managed care.
• Working knowledge of insurance coverage and procedures.
• Working knowledge of community resources.
• Understanding of healthcare facilities and processes.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Proficient computer skills.

Nice To Haves

• Previous oncology experience strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Guide patients and families through diagnosis, testing, treatment, follow-up care, and survivorship across the continuum of care.
• Coordinate individual care plans, including answering questions, assisting with referrals and appointment scheduling when appropriate, and providing community resources.
• Provide education and advocacy throughout the care process, including information about diagnosis, treatment options, side-effect management, clinical trials, post-treatment care, and survivorship.
• Connect patients with internal and external services for screening, diagnosis, treatment, clinical research, support services, and follow-up care; refer cases to appropriate resources.
• Coordinate care with multidisciplinary teams and promote timely follow-up on treatment and supportive-care recommendations, including those arising from cancer conferences or tumor boards.
• Address functional, cultural, health-literacy, psychosocial, reproductive or fertility, and spiritual needs of patients, families, and caregivers.
• Identify and reduce barriers to healthcare access, facilitate continuity of care, and ensure culturally sensitive and timely communication and coordination.
• Document, track, and monitor patient data; contribute to quality improvement; and manage assigned caseloads and complex cases.
• Advocate for patient rights, appropriate utilization of services, shared decision-making, and care that reflects patients' goals.
• Help patients and families address financial, psychosocial, functional, and administrative issues by explaining options and referring them to appropriate resources.
• Maintain effective liaison relationships among patients, families, attending physicians, other medical team members, and community resources.
• Provide emotional support, counseling, clinical education, and guidance to patients and families; build therapeutic and trusting relationships.
• Educate patients, families, and caregivers individually and in groups about treatment options, community resources, self-care, and informed decision-making.
• Provide psychosocial support and facilitate referrals, particularly during periods of significant emotional stress and anxiety.
• Encourage patients to engage in care planning and decision-making.
• Promote the healthcare program in the community, including developing written materials and giving public presentations about patient-care and research activities.
• Co-facilitate at least one disease-specific support group in the area of expertise and participate in relevant cancer-care outreach.
• Assess patients' health and psychosocial needs and develop care plans with healthcare providers, patients, and their support systems.
• Educate healthcare delivery team members about treatment options, community resources, and self-care management; serve as a clinical consultant to the team.
• Support patient satisfaction, access to appropriate care, and positive patient outcomes through an integrated care-delivery model and a single point of contact.
• Promote lifelong learning and evidence-based practice for self and others to improve cancer care.
• Collaborate with treating physicians and support staff to help prevent unnecessary hospital, emergency department, or clinic visits and improve treatment adherence through patient education and follow-up.
• Obtain and maintain oncology nursing certification.
• Contribute to the healthcare community's knowledge through professional organizations, presentations, publications, and research.
• Share information about the Oncology Nurse Navigator role through peer education, mentoring, and preceptor experiences; orient and guide novice Oncology Nurse Navigators.
• Collaborate with cancer program administration and the cancer committee on strategies to meet American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and other relevant accreditation requirements.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Team member wellness program.
• Retirement plan with Inova matching the first 5% of eligible contributions, starting on the first day.
• Education assistance of up to $5,250 per year.
• Student loan assistance of up to $10,000.
• Up to 25 mental health coaching or therapy sessions per person per year at no cost for team members, their spouses or partners, and their children.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level