Oncology RN Navigator

Emory Healthcare•Atlanta, GA

About The Position

Job Summary: The Oncology Nurse Navigator (ONN) is a disease group specific expert who meets the individual supportive care needs of patients by making proactive and recurring risk-based touchpoints to identify and eliminate barriers to care from the point of the new patient visit (NPV) through completion of active treatment. Additionally, the ONN supports a coordinated transition into survivorship and/or end of life care. The ONN actively evaluates current navigation practice and seeks opportunity to engage in quality improvement efforts to advance both individual practice and the navigation program at large in alignment with evidence-based studies to improve the overall patient experience and clinical outcomes.

Requirements

Bachelors degree in Nursing required and Graduate of an accredited school of nursing.
Active Georgia (GA) nursing license, eligible for licensure in GA.
BLS.
If completing virtual care activities that may include multi-state practice, an active compact/multistate license (eNLC) is required within 60 days of hire.

Nice To Haves

3 years within oncology, with at least 1 year in assigned disease group.
OCN, AOCN, APN, CBCN, or BMTCN certification preferred, required within 24 months.
Must complete a minimum of 12 CEUs annually with a focus on disease group specialty if certification is not already disease group specific.

Responsibilities

Ensure regular, proactive touchpoints with patients at every major care transition to provide consistent support and guidance throughout their oncology journey.
Each patient must receive a minimum of five scheduled touchpoints during key transitions such as diagnosis, treatment initiation, treatment modality change, post-treatment, and survivorship or end-of-life planning, with additional touchpoints provided as needed based on the patients condition and needs (PRN).
Collaborate closely with the multidisciplinary team to receive referrals from various pathways and integrate the navigation team's efforts to address patient-specific barriers, ensuring seamless care coordination and enhanced patient outcomes.
Where the ONN is referred for services that are out of the scope of nursing navigation, the ONN provides a more appropriate professional referral and then oversees throughput on that recommendation to ensure needed support is provided in a timely manner.
Offer education and support to patients and their caregivers about their treatment plans, including pre/post-operative care, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy, and manage home symptom care as needed.
Reinforces treatment plans with patients and caregivers by providing education related to planned and potential care pathways, reinforcing pre/post-op teaching, chemotherapy and immunotherapy teaching, and radiation therapy teaching, on an as needed basis.
Proactively identify potential barriers to patient care, such as logistical issues, insurance problems, or knowledge gaps, and work to eliminate these barriers to facilitate timely and effective treatment.
Work closely with oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, genetic counselors, and other healthcare professionals to develop comprehensive, patient-centered care plans, including participation in tumor board meetings and other collaborative forums.
Supports patients with difficult decision making for genetic testing.
Collaborates with the multi-disciplinary team to ensure timely completion of care during care transitions.
Regularly assess patient progress, adjust care plans as necessary, and escalate care to appropriate team members when patients experience complications or require more intensive management.
The ONN may support at home symptom management with referral back to the primary medical team for escalation to the appropriate level of care.
Engage in department-level quality improvement projects and initiatives to enhance patient care and outcomes, utilizing evidence-based practices and data-driven decision-making.
Actively evaluates current navigation practice and seeks opportunity to engage in quality improvement efforts.
Participates in a department level quality improvement project annually (Other Requirement).
Identify patients eligible for research studies or clinical trials, provide relevant information, and facilitate patient enrollment and follow-up, coordinating closely with research staff and study sponsors.
Collaborates with the testing center staff to identify patients interested in research studies.
Additional duties as assigned.