Registered Nurse (RN) Referral Navigator

The University of Texas at Austin•Austin, TX

4d•$87,000

About The Position

The Registered Nurse (RN) Referral Navigator plays a critical role in supporting UT Health Austin, focused on redesigning care, improving health outcomes, and expanding access to providing high-quality patient centered care. Reporting to Director of Referral Coordination and Navigation, this position functions autonomously and in collaboration with healthcare and patient access teams. The RN Referral Navigator serves as a clinically trained nurse who manages, triages, and facilitates referrals across multispecialty ambulatory practices. This role manages inbound, internal, and outbound referrals and authorizations, verifies insurance, and supports care transitions. The RN Referral Navigator serves as a liaison between patients, providers, and specialists, helping to provide timely patient access to specialty care clinics and services and enhancing operational efficiency and patient satisfaction.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration or a related field.
Minimum of 5 years of clinical nursing experience in ambulatory, specialty, or acute care environments.
Demonstrated skills in clinical assessment, triage, and patient communication.
Experience with electronic health records and referral workflows.
Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) licensure in the state of Texas.
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification within 6 months of hire.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Nursing, Healthcare or a related field.
Experience in an academic health system or in coordination roles supporting multi-specialty care.
Knowledge of managed care processes, prior authorization, and population health principles.
Experience using electronic medical records (EMR) systems such as Epic.
Nursing certification from NCC, ANCC, etc.

Responsibilities

Referral Management and Care Coordination Promotes and maintains efficient referral processes by identifying barriers, reducing delays, and minimizing administrative workload for providers and clinical staff.
Delivers clinical guidance to Referral Coordinators by evaluating and clarifying inbound referral information to support accurate processing and care coordination.
Monitors and verifies referral urgency, priority level, and status to ensure they accurately reflect the requesting provider’s needs and adherence to established clinical and operational workflows.
Confirms insurance coverage and authorization requirements in coordination with financial clearance teams.
Partners with specialty services to support appropriate scheduling and timely access to care across the academic medical enterprise.
Manages appointment scheduling activities, as required, to ensure efficient and timely coordination of care.
Tracks referral progress to ensure closed-loop communication between referring and receiving providers.
Clinical Triage Reviews clinical documentation and leverages RN-level assessment skills to determine the urgency and complexity of referrals.
Identifies high-risk patients or those requiring expedited specialty engagement and escalates appropriately to specialty physicians or care teams.
Addresses clinical inquiries from referring providers, patients, and staff using established protocols and nursing judgment.
Patient Navigation and Experience Serves as the initial primary point of contact for clinical questions regarding referral status, next steps, and preparation for specialty services.
Provides evidence-based patient education tailored to literacy, cultural, and social needs.
Coordinates diagnostic testing, imaging, and pre-consultation requirements needed prior to appointment scheduling.
Improves patient experience by providing clear instructions and timely updates.
Engages in continuous quality improvement initiatives to enhance services for providers, patients, and families and the overall healthcare system.
Supports patient empowerment and informed decision-making in alignment with patient-centered care model.
De-escalates concerns and escalates clinical issues appropriately.
Maintains confidentiality and professionalism in all interactions.
Documentation and Compliance Documents all referral actions, patient communication, and RN triage assessments in the electronic health record (EHR) consistent with organizational standards and regulatory requirements.
Contributes to reporting, data monitoring, and workflow optimization related to access, quality, and patient outcomes.
Adheres to clinical policies and procedures, including HIPAA and nursing practice regulations.
Participates in continuing education, professional development, and academic training opportunities.
Scans and uploads documents to patient records.
Audits documentation for completeness and accuracy.