How would you like to work in a place where your contributions and ideas are valued? A place where you can serve with compassion, pursue excellence and honor every voice? At Wellstar, our mission is simple, yet powerful: to enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve. We are proud to have become a shining example of what's possible when the brightest professionals dedicate themselves to making a difference in the healthcare industry, and in people's lives.

Job Summary:

The Nurse Navigator (NN) is a licensed registered nurse with disease-specific clinical knowledge who offers individualized assistance to patients, families, and caregivers to help overcome barriers to care. Utilizing the nursing process, a nurse navigator provides education and resources to facilitate informed decision making and timely access to quality health and psychosocial care throughout all phases of the cancer continuum.
This role is both patient and provider facing with the ability to interface both in person, telephonically, and electronically though it is not a bed/chair side position.
The primary functions of this role are to promote timely access to care and compliance to the plan of care.
Key responsibilities and impact of this role in the organization is guided by foundational concepts to establish and grow programs by supporting the program and job responsibilities determined by patient needs, the community, and the organization. This role supports timely access to care and the Wellstar Specialty Program.

Core Responsibilities and Essential Functions:

Patient Coordinator and Liaison
1. Key Role/Responsibility
A. Serves as subject matter expert in the field of navigation.
B. Improves patient care timeliness and access to care.
C. Collaborates with program leaders and administration to perform and evaluate data from the community needs assessment to identify areas of improvement that will affect the patient navigation process and program.
D. Provides relationship-based patient centered care that is consistent with population specific characteristics (e.g. age, gender, disease, etc) in a manner that adapts service delivery to reflect an understanding of diversity.
E. Participates in growth and development activities with the navigation team. Providing leadership in elements of program needs that the navigators' expertise implores.
F. Collaborates with overall navigation team for cross coverage and subject matter expertise to coordinate high level care for all patients.
2. Key Role/Responsibility
A. Performs the Nursing Process (assessment; diagnosis; identification of outcomes; planning; implementation and evaluation) in the performance of evidence based practice, uses analytical/critical thinking and insuring that care is individualized; coordinating care through effective partnerships recognizing that caring is central to achieve optimal patient care outcomes.
B. Coordinates the delivery and documentation of safe quality patient care that promotes the professional care delivery model. This includes, but is not limited to diverse and inclusive interdisciplinary communication methods (interdisciplinary rounds, case review, inpatient navigation visits and coordination with case management, etc); completion of timely documentation and promotion of a respectful, inclusive clinical environment.
C. Demonstrates teamwork and collaboration by practicing in a manner that is fiscally responsible and promotes the recruitment and retention of all healthcare team members.
D. Participates and supports performance improvement inclusive of all stakeholders, promoting an inter/intra-disciplinary process and actively supports/participates in shared governance at all levels in the system.
E. Coordinate care as recommended at specialty clinics and multidisciplinary care rounds within the scope of the nurse navigator. Identify gaps in services and take action to locate, bridge resources/services.
3. Key Role/Responsibility
A. Completes all initial and ongoing professional competency assessment, required mandatory education, and population specific education.
B. Serves as a preceptor and/or or mentor for other professional nurses (and staff or students for all disciplines) to ensure that there is a current and future qualified workforce; modeling the professional practice of nursing and creating a healthy work environment
C. Takes initiative to be apprised of advances and developments that impact care of the individual with cancer and institutions that provide cancer care by actively participating in local, state, and national oncology and navigation professional practice opportunities. Promotes Evidence based practice, nursing research and performance improvement in nursing.
D. Upholds all health care system/organizational policies and procedures and navigation competencies put forth by this job description and professional association including legal, regulatory and accreditation requirements and standards ensuring by way of example, such goals as TJC Patient Safety Goals and WellStar Health Systems safety absolutes.
E. Participates in data collection, poses relevant clinical questions to advanced evidence based practice. Consults appropriate experts and uses appropriate resources and evidence to address practice questions.
F. Supports efficient and effective use of human and material resources, including practice in additional areas of support in times of identified and approved need.
Performs other duties as assigned
Complies with all Wellstar Health System policies, standards of work, and code of conduct.

Required Minimum Education:

• Bachelors Nursing or Accredited Program Nursing
• Masters Health Administration-Preferred

Required Minimum License(s) and Certification(s):

All certifications are required upon hire unless otherwise stated.

• Reg Nurse (Single State) or RN - Multi-state Compact
• Basic Life Support or BLS - Instructor

Additional License(s) and Certification(s):

Required Minimum Experience:

Minimum 5 years nursing practice Required and
Minimum 2 years nursing with disease specific experience Required and
Outpatient care or care coordination experience Preferred

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