Registered Nurse Breast Oncology Navigator - Cancer Institute - Days

Endeavor Health • Arlington Heights, IL

12d • Onsite

About The Position

The Cancer Institute Breast Oncology Nurse Navigator serves as the lead navigator for breast cancer patients across the Endeavor Health system and as the operational and quality anchor for breast navigation practice system-wide. This role coordinates care from initial diagnosis through the full treatment continuum across all seven Endeavor Health hospitals, reducing time to treatment, minimizing care fragmentation, and supporting patient retention within the system. In addition to direct patient navigation, this position standardizes breast navigation workflows, supports and mentors site-level navigators, and builds the infrastructure for a scalable, accreditation-ready navigation program aligned with Commission on Cancer standards.

Requirements

• Bachelors Degree Nursing, required.
• Current State of Illinois Registered Nurse license, required.
• Current CPR certification issued by the American Heart Association, required.
• Minimum of three (3) years of clinical nursing experience in oncology, including direct care of patients with breast cancer.
• Demonstrated experience in care coordination, patient education, or case management in an oncology setting.
• Proficiency with electronic health record systems; experience with Epic preferred
• Strong interpersonal communication skills and ability to engage effectively with patients, families, and multidisciplinary teams
• Ability to work independently across multiple sites and manage a complex, high-volume patient caseload, required.

Nice To Haves

• Master's Degree in Nursing, preferred.
• Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) certification or Certified Breast Care Nurse (CBCN) Credential are preferred and are required within two years of start date into position
• Completion of a recognized oncology navigation certification program (e.g., AONN+, George Washington Cancer Center Navigator Training)
• Oncology Sub-specialty Certification as appropriate, preferred.
• Prior experience in a formal nurse navigation or care coordination role and familiarity with Commission on Cancer accreditation standards related to patient navigation, preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the system-wide lead for breast oncology navigation, establishing program standards and ensuring consistency of practice across all Endeavor Health sites.
• Develop and maintain standardized breast navigation workflows, care checklists, and patient contact protocols for use across all hospitals.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary team leads, tumor board coordinators, and site leaders to integrate navigation into existing oncology care pathways.
• Monitor and report on system-level navigation performance metrics including time to initial oncology appointment, patient retention, care completion rates, and patient satisfaction.
• Lead or contribute to navigation-related accreditation activities, including Commission on Cancer standards compliance.
• Receive referrals for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients via electronic pathology alerts, provider referral, imaging findings, and self-referral across system hospitals.
• Contact patients at or near the time of diagnosis to introduce navigation services, provide emotional support, and coordinate the initial oncology appointment and diagnostic workup.
• Serve as a consistent, accessible point of contact for patients and families throughout the care continuum, from diagnosis through treatment completion and into surveillance.
• Coordinate scheduling of oncology appointments, imaging, surgical consultations, and ancillary services across system sites.
• Identify and address barriers to care including transportation, financial concerns, language access, health literacy, and psychosocial needs, facilitating referrals to social work, financial counseling, and community resources.
• Conduct structured patient check-ins following appointments and at defined intervals throughout treatment, using standardized tools to assess needs and ensure continuity.
• Document all navigation activity accurately and in a timely manner within the electronic medical record.
• Provide clinical guidance, coaching, and operational support to site-level breast navigators across Endeavor Health hospitals.
• Facilitate case review and navigation huddles with site navigators to address complex patients and ensure consistent application of system protocols.
• Support onboarding and training for new navigators, including orientation to system workflows, documentation standards, and patient communication expectations.
• Identify gaps in site-level practice and work with program leadership to develop corrective tools, training, or workflow modifications.
• Engage with community partners, primary care practices, and screening programs across Endeavor Health's service area to promote early detection and timely entry into breast cancer care.
• Identify populations experiencing disparities in breast cancer screening adherence, diagnosis-to-treatment timeliness, or care completion, and develop targeted outreach strategies in partnership with system and community stakeholders.
• Support navigation access for patients referred from emergency department, imaging, and community screening settings, ensuring no patient is lost to follow-up at the point of diagnosis.
• Collaborate with social work, financial counseling, language services, and community health workers to address the social determinants of health that create barriers to timely breast cancer care.
• Contribute to system efforts to reduce disparities in breast cancer outcomes across the diverse communities served by Endeavor Health hospitals.

Benefits

• Eligibility for our Annual Incentive Plan, which offers the potential to earn a certain percentage amount of your base salary based on organizational performance. (For AIP eligible positions)
• Premium pay such as shift, on call, holiday and more based on an employee’s job (For eligible positions)
• Incentive pay for select positions
• Opportunity for annual increases based on performance
• Career Pathways to Promote Professional Growth and Development
• Various Medical, Dental, Pet and Vision options
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Free Parking
• Wellness Program
• Savings Plan
• Health Savings Account Options
• Retirement Options with Company Match
• Paid Time Off and Holiday Pay
• Community Involvement Opportunities

What This Job Offers

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