Oncology Nurse Navigator (RN)

Stanford Health Care•Palo Alto, CA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Oncology Nurse Navigator is a licensed nurse with experience in cancer clinical care coordination and care management. The role optimizes care coordination, patient experience, and clinical outcomes through nurse-led navigation from diagnosis through treatment, survivorship, and/or palliation. The Navigator builds trusted relationships with patients and caregivers, serves as a clinical care advocate, and connects care across clinical teams. Working as part of an interdisciplinary team, the Navigator triages clinical and supportive care needs and connects patients with appropriate services. Navigation activities are monitored to support shared decision-making, patient engagement, communication aligned with patient values and preferences, and attention to patient needs throughout the care journey. The position works with physicians and clinical teams, including patient care coordinators, patient financial counselors, clinical research coordinators, social workers, genetic counselors, and supportive care specialists. The role is based in the Cancer Destination Service Line, which serves patients through a network of seven clinical sites and emphasizes comprehensive care navigation and supportive services. The schedule is Monday through Friday, eight-hour days, with approximately four onsite days and one remote day depending on clinic needs. There are no evenings, weekends, holidays, or on-call duties.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited college or university.
At least 5 years of registered nurse experience.
At least 2 years of registered nurse experience in oncology.
California Registered Nurse (RN) license.
American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
Clinical knowledge of disease processes, clinical trial information, symptom management, and appropriate cancer care services.
Knowledge of overall cancer disease processes and treatment.
Knowledge of medical terminology.
Ability to manage group processes and build effective working relationships.
Strong problem-solving, decision-making, and critical-thinking skills.
Ability to implement professional and community-based education programs.
Experience with MS Office.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
Organization, attention to detail, and strong follow-through abilities.

Nice To Haves

Master of Science (MS) or Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).
Experience with nurse navigation and/or ambulatory oncology case management.
OCN (Oncology Nurse Certification).
AOCNS (Advanced Oncology Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist).
Knowledge of adult learning styles and teaching methods, and ability to deliver educational programs to staff and the community.
Experience with Epic EMR.
Ability to integrate patient care with the interdisciplinary health care team and provide direction or guidance to non-licensed personnel in the assigned area to ensure quality care.
Ability to develop materials involving graphics and tables.

Responsibilities

Ensure clinical care meets National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines and/or Stanford clinical care pathways, including awareness of clinical trials available across the Cancer Destination Service Line Network.
Assess patient education needs and provide disease-specific information about clinical trials, treatment options, symptom management, and supportive care programs.
Address clinical and health-system barriers to care and arrange services for at-risk populations identified by nurse navigation tracking tools.
Collaborate with social work and nutrition to address environmental barriers that affect patients’ ability to follow cancer care pathways, as appropriate.
Facilitate communication among members of the cancer clinical care team and provide one-on-one oncology nurse navigation to address the mental, emotional, and physical needs of patients, caregivers, and families.
Coordinate clinically oriented referrals, second opinions, outside testing, local treatment options, and community-based supportive care options.
Provide clinical care and educational materials in a culturally appropriate manner and facilitate additional services to meet the cultural needs of patients and families.
Screen and assess patients for distress and refer them to appropriate services within the Cancer Destination Service Line and/or community.
Conduct strategic patient touchpoints from diagnosis through treatment, survivorship, and/or palliation in accordance with NCCN and Stanford quality guidelines implemented by the Cancer Destination Service Line.
Support accreditation requirements within Cancer Destination Service Line Cancer Centers and work with the accreditation team to ensure quality standards are met, including CoC, NAPBC, and QOPI requirements.
Represent Stanford Cancer Destination Service Line and serve as a liaison to academies and associations, including AONN, ACCC, and ONS.
Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team, including administrative staff, social workers, pharmacists, clinical research coordinators, advanced practice providers, and physicians, to coordinate patient care.