Cancer Patient Navigator RN- Oncology and Hematology

Frederick Health is seeking a fulltime Registered Nurse Cancer Patient Navigator for Oncology and Hematology office Monday to Friday 8am to 4:30pm.

Job Summary

The Oncology Nurse Navigator is a member of a multidisciplinary team who coordinates patient care throughout their cancer journey through survivorship. As a clinical resource and advocate, they will ensure timely, efficient, and seamless access for new patients and referring physicians to FHMG Oncology and Hematology. While maintaining a focus on efficiently coordinating consultation, diagnostics, and treatment, the Oncology Nurse Navigator will provide education, counsel, and navigation to community, financial and psychosocial supports. The Navigator works collaboratively with all members of the healthcare team including physicians, ancillary services, and community agencies. The Oncology Nurse Navigator is a health educator and is a respected resource throughout the organization and healthcare community.

Example of Essential Functions:

Coordination of Patient Care
• Assists patients throughout their cancer journey including consultation, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.
• Ensures timeliness of patient diagnosis and treatment through assessment, coordination, and communication.

• Serves as a liaison between Oncology and Hematology providers and referring physicians.
• Assist in identifying and removing any barriers to care. Facilitates referrals for support services including social workers, financial counselors, dieticians, integrative medicine, etc.

• Provides education and information to the patient and designated individuals, helping to make the care seamless, continuous, and comprehensive.
• Participates in new cancer consultations, treatment planning, and restaging visits. Initiates and documents the patient's care plan and associated teaching.
• Responds to patient requests for information regarding the disease process, expected side effects of treatment and community resources.
• Provides guidance and direction to support staff regarding the patient's care plan and their necessary appointments. Ensures efficiency and completeness.
• Tracks for and provides survivorship appointments and associated materials and referrals.

Accountability
• Participates in evaluating program effectiveness and takes steps to ensure success in achieving program goals.
• Serves as an essential link between patients and the interdisciplinary healthcare team (physicians, office staff, diagnostic staff, Breast Center providers, PM&G providers, nurses, radiology staff, social services staff, and radiation oncology staff, etc.).
• Participates in patient experience and improvement projects, meetings, and assignments. Actively supports and engages in exceptional patient care at all encounters.

Management of Information
• Creates and maintains an adequate referral tracking system.
• Completes all documentation in a timely manner ensuring accuracy and completeness.
• Maintains legible, accurate and confidential medical records. Documents all medical evaluations, diagnosis, procedures, treatment, outcomes, education, referrals, and consultations appropriately and consistently based on state and federal regulatory standards and in compliance with departmental expectations.

Customer Service
• Functions as a patient advocate to ensure the patient receives high quality care, delivered to the highest service standards.
• Consistently concerned with the well-being of the patient. Treats all patients with courtesy, dignity, and respect.
• Maintains goals established for patient satisfaction surveys.
• Implements service recovery as needed to promote patient satisfaction.
• Actively participates in the implementation of organizational patient satisfaction/customer service initiatives.

Teamwork / Community Service
• Acts as a role model and develops and maintains a collaborative working relationship with the surgical and oncology providers, Precision Medicine, medical staff, nursing, and ancillary departments.
• Shares knowledge and information as appropriate with various other members of the healthcare team and documents recommendations made utilizing standardized care protocols in accordance with nationally recognized care guidelines.
• Functions as a resource to support staff for clinical questions and guidance.
• Serves as a resource for community educational events, such as health fairs, screenings, symposiums, lectures, and staff education.
• Organizes and supports community awareness and prevention activities.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Understanding of cancer diagnoses, treatments, and medical terminology.
• Strong communication skills; ability to clearly explain medical information and navigate complex healthcare systems.
• Ability to understand and respond to the emotional and psychological needs of patients and their families.
• Requires the ability to handle stressful situations and providing ongoing support throughout the patient's treatment journey.
• Requires excellent problem solving, decision making and critical thinking skills. Ability to address barriers to care, such as financial, logistical, or social issues.
• Strong organizational skills. Ability to manage multiple patients, appointments, and follow-ups efficiently.
• Excellent organizational, written, and verbal communication skills. Able to maintain a high level of confidentiality related to employee and patient information.
• Able to assess and care for special needs patients with respect to cultural, ethical, and religious differences and physical abilities.
• Must be able to work in a self-directed environment, with the ability to work with and lead teams.
• Experience with prior electronic medical records (EMR) is preferred.

Minimum Education, Training, and Experience Required:

• Currently licensed to practice as an RN in the State of Maryland. Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing is required.
• Must have 3 - 5 years of clinical experience as a registered nurse in a hospital or clinic setting, Oncology clinic experience preferred
• Certification from the Oncology Nursing Society (OCN) preferred or 12 annual CEUs with an oncology focus must be obtained within the first year of employment. Chemotherapy and Biotherapy Certification from ONS is preferred.
• Must maintain licensures and yearly CEU requirements for OCN and RN.
• Current CPR Certification required.

Patient Contact

Must demonstrate and maintain current knowledge and skills in providing appropriate care/contact for patients in the following age groups:

• Neonate (0 thru 30 days)
• Infant (31 thru 12 months)
• Child (13 months thru 12 years)
• _X_ Adolescent (13 years thru 17 years)
• _X_ Adult (18 years thru 65 years)
• _X_ Geriatric (66+ years)

Physical Demands:

Light Work - Lifting up to 20 pounds on an infrequent basis (less than one lift every three minutes and/or carrying up to 10 pounds, or requiring walking or standing to a significant degree (about six [6] hours a day).

Ergonomic Risk Factors:

Repetition: Repeating the same motion over and over again places stress on the muscles and tendons. The severity of risk depends on how often the action is repeated, the speed of the movement, the required force and muscles involved.

Working Conditions:

Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Risk: Category A - WILL have exposure to blood or body fluids.

Reporting Relationship:

Reports to the Clinical Manager of Oncology.

Caring for you as you care for the CommUNITY
Frederick Health offers a comprehensive and affordable benefits package. Health, Dental and Vision insurance are offered the 1st of the month after 30 days of employment to all employees hired to work at least 20 hours per week and we offer multiple plans to best meet your and your family's needs. Life insurance, Short-Term Income Replacement and Long-Term Disability are employer paid for eligible employees. Frederick Health offers a robust Paid Time Off program for eligible employees. Our 403B retirement plan helps you save for your retirement and includes an employer match to eligible employees. All employees have access to free financial planning sessions. We also offer an educational assistance program to support your education goals as well as an employer paid Employee Assistance Program.

Pay is based on experience, skills and education. If position is part-time, salary will be pro-rated based on scheduled hours. The pay range may also vary within the stated range based on specialty if applicable. Non-Exempt positions may have shift differential and/or Overtime paid, if applicable.

Salary Range: $70,033.60 - $103,542.40