Newport News, Virginia

Hiring Range
$81,000.00 - $111,375.00/AnnualActual pay is determined based on job-related factors such as relevant experience, education, credentials, skills, internal equity, and business needs.
Overview
The Cardiothoracic Surgery Nurse Navigator is a registered professional nurse with clinical expertise who functions under the direction of the Cardiovascular Service Line Administrator and Quality Director and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery and is an advocate, educator, and facilitator of care for the Cardiothoracic Surgery patient and their family, throughout the continuum of care, from the point of initial consultation, through preoperative preparation, admission, hospital stay, and postoperative evaluation. The responsibilities include the assessment of the patient and understanding their individualized diagnosis, comorbidities, medications, and procedures, to provide patient and family education/counseling about necessary steps to enhance optimal cardiothoracic surgery and recovery. Collaborates with the providers and clinical team on patient needs, barriers and assessment changes, and coordinates care in collaboration with case management to facilitate follow-up appointments, post-acute needs, and specialty/subspecialty consults. Contacts the patient post discharge to reinforce discharge instructions, medication, and follow-up appointment adherence. RN Navigator serves as a clinical role model, educator and liaison for the cardiothoracic surgery team, hospital staff and community, and collaborates with the providers and leadership to facilitate and promote improved patient outcomes.

What you will do

• Schedule procedure and pre procedure diagnostic workup and follow up. Participates in patient calls to review preprocedural testing results, provide preprocedural education, medication instructions, and accurate documentation of all interactions.
• Participates in evaluation of the patient's progress towards surgical clearance and updates the Advance Practice Provider / Physician as needed and facilitates the review of preprocedural testing results by the provider care team in a timely manner prior to surgery.
• Assesses data and records to identify timeliness of scheduling. Able to investigate alternative options with the Advance Practice Provider / Physician and arrange for a more appropriate, urgent schedule as needed.
• Coordinates appointment scheduling and collaborates with case management, as needed, to ensure quality patient care. Educates patient regarding protocols for tests/appointments. Demonstrates knowledge of, and appropriately refers patients to appropriate community resources for support and assistance. Provides postoperative phone calls to discharged patients to reduce adverse events, ER evaluations, readmissions, and ensure proper and timely postoperative follow up. Communicates any abnormal findings and concerns to the APP/MD in a timely manner.
• Monitors the triage of patient phone calls and concerns, ensuring pertinent, urgent, and emergent issues are brought to the attention of the APP/MD. Responds to Epic inbox messages (personal Epic inbox, as well as shared inboxes from other key team members when applicable). This includes staff messages and potentially direct messages from patients.
• Maintains and updates pertinent clinical data items for each patient enrolled in the Cardiothoracic Surgery Program, as it relates to STS registries. Identifies and tracks quality indicators specific to the cardiothoracic surgery population. Identifies opportunities to improve documentation of preoperative risks. Ensures standardized quality indicators are tracked and analyzed across the Cardiothoracic Surgery Program.
• Facilitates multidisciplinary staff participation in quality management and program leadership. Attends CTS Quality meetings and other committee meetings (VCSQI, STS Webinars, Registry Meetings) as appropriate. Actively works with CTS team to identify, plan, promote, and implement process improvement and quality initiatives, including but not limited to appropriate education and awareness
• Assists with the evaluation of patient care outcomes for individual patients and groupings of patients. Identifies, suggests, and supports changes within the area to improve overall patient care outcomes. Outcomes monitored include Reductions in readmissions, Patient satisfaction, Patient education materials and impact, Patient progress through phases of care and adherence to post operative in hospital timeline. Knowledgeable in metrics associated with STS database.
• Provides consultation and education to healthcare providers and the system
• Rounds with the team on cardiac surgery inpatients.
• Supports patient and family in transfer of care outside of system. Coordinates re-entry to RHS for follow-up care. Serves as a contact for the family and care team while patient is under the care of a referral center.
• Meets monthly with team from University of Virginia to review outcomes associated with transferred patients, review the experience of transferred patients, and suggest system improvements to ease the transfer of patients to University of Virginia.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelors Degree, Nursing (Required)

Experience

• 2 years Cardiology clinical experience (Required)
• 1 year Cardiothoracic Surgery clinical experience (Preferred)

Skills and Abilities

• This position involves educating and navigating the patient through the entire procedure process from pre-procedure to post follow-up as to provide an excellent patient experience.
• Must have strong written/verbal communication and interpersonal skills to effectively interact with the multi-disciplinary team., including physicians, nurses, co-workers, referring physician groups, and patients' families, etc.
• Ability to work independently and exercise sound judgement in interactions.
• Some flexibility is required as the schedule is based around the patient's procedure.
• Must have excellent problem-solving skills.
• Proficient computer skills that may include but are not limited to Microsoft Office platforms (including excel) and/or Google Suite platforms.

Licenses and Certifications

• Registered Nurse (RN) - Virginia Department of Health Professions (VDHP) (Required)
• CPR/BLS Certification - American Heart Association/American Red Cross/American Safety and Health Institute (AHA/ARC) within 30 Days(Required)
• Cardiac Vascular Nursing Certification (CV-BC) within 1 Year (Preferred)