Oncology Nurse Navigator Life With Cancer

Life With Cancer is looking for a dedicated Oncology Nurse Navigator to join the team at our Inova Alexandria Hospital location. This role will be full-time day shift from Monday – Friday. This is an exempt role.  

Inova is consistently ranked a national healthcare leader in safety, quality and patient experience. We are also proud to be consistently recognized as a top employer in both the D.C. metro area and the nation. 

Featured Benefits:

• Committed to Team Member Health: offering medical, dental and vision coverage, and a robust team member wellness program.
• Retirement: Inova matches the first 5% of eligible contributions – starting on your first day.
• Tuition and Student Loan Assistance: offering up to $5,250 per year in education assistance and up to $10,000 for student loans.
• Mental Health Support: offering all Inova team members, their spouses/partners, and their children 25 mental health coaching or therapy sessions, per person, per year, at no cost.

The Life with Cancer Oncology Nurse Navigator provides safe therapeutic care in a holistic and systematic way across the hospital and continuum of care and in the community for past, current, and potential cancer patients.  Guides patient and family through the health system from diagnosis, testing, treatment and follow-up care to assist patients with navigating the continuum of care. Acts as a liaison, advocate and point of contact to patient/family members by helping them access the best healthcare outcomes from doctors, hospitals and others who provide their required services. May assist patients and families with resolving financial, psychosocial, functional, and administrative issues by advising of options and referring to appropriate resources. Acts as advisor/educator by providing emotional support, clinical education, resources and expert guidance to patients and families to promote their ability to understand and meaningfully participate in the healthcare process and personal decision-making. Facilitates and oversees both the care delivery for patients and relevant program development under the direction of the department manager and in collaboration with the Life with Cancer Director and oncology colleagues.

Duties and Responsibilities

Guides patient and family through the health system from diagnosis, testing, treatment and follow-up care to assist patients with navigating the continuum of care.

• Coordinates a patient's plan of care which may include answering patient questions regarding disease process and plan of care, appointment scheduling when appropriate, assisting with referral process, and providing community resources. Provides educational information and advocacy to patient throughout care process including survivorship.
• Functions as a contact to internal and external community/family services for patients in need of services such as screening, diagnostic treatment, clinical research participation, support services, and follow-up/aftercare plan. Refers cases to the appropriate resources for assistance.
• Creates a seamless flow through the health system to facilitate the patient's care.
• Participates in coordination of the plan of care with the multidisciplinary team, promoting timely follow-up on treatment and supportive care recommendations (e.g. cancer conferences/tumor boards).
• Facilitates individualized care within the context of functional status, cultural considerations, health literacy, psychosocial, reproductive/fertility and spiritual needs for patients, families and caregivers.

Eliminates barriers to patient's access to health care services and facilitates continuity of care/care coordination.

• Ensure communication and coordination of care for patients happens in a culturally sensitive and timely manner with attention to level of health literacy so they receive access to resources throughout the continuum and follow through with recommendations from the health care team.
• Document, track and monitor patient data.
• Contribute to quality improvement efforts.
• Manages caseload assignment and complex cases.

Acts as a liaison, advocate and point of contact to patient/family members by helping them access the best healthcare outcomes from doctors, hospitals and others who provide their required services.

• Proactively anticipates patient's needs and advocates for patient rights and appropriate utilization of services.
• Advocates for patients to promote patient-centered care that includes shared decision making and patients goals of care with optimal outcomes.
• Offers individualized assistance to patients, families, and caregivers to help overcome health system barriers.
• Assists patients and families with resolving financial, psychosocial, functional, and administrative issues by advising of options and referring to appropriate resources.
• Develops and maintains effective liaison role between patient and attending, consulting other medical team members.

Acts as advisor/educator by providing emotional support, counseling, clinical education, resources and expert guidance to patients and families to promote their ability to understand and meaningfully participate in the healthcare process and personal decision-making.

• Builds therapeutic and trusting working relationships with patient, families and caregivers.
• Both in groups and individually, educates patient, family and/or caregiver(s) regarding treatment options, community resources, self-care management, etc. to facilitate timely and informed ethical decision-making throughout all phases of the treatment/disease continuum process.
• Provides psychosocial support to and facilitates appropriate referrals for patients, families and caregivers especially during periods of high emotional stress and anxiety.
• Encourage and coach patients to be engaged in their care planning and to embrace their essential role in the decision making process.
• Provides and reinforces education to patients, families and caregivers about diagnosis, treatment options, side effect management, awareness of clinical trials, post-treatment care and survivorship.
• Independently conducts ongoing promotion of healthcare program to community based resources to include developing written materials and public presentations describing activities related to patient care and research.
• Co-facilitates at least one disease specific support group in area of expertise and participates in community outreach opportunities related to cancer care, as relevant.

Builds effective working relationships with healthcare providers and community resources to maximize patient outcome and identify/resolve barriers to the plan of care.

• Conducts comprehensive assessment of the patient's health and psychosocial needs, and develops a care plan in collaboration with healthcare providers and the patient and their support system.
• Collaborates with multidisciplinary team to address patient questions and responses about the care process and treatment options.
• Educate members of the health care delivery team regarding treatment options, community resources, self-care management, etc. to facilitate timely and informed decision-making throughout all phases of the treatment/disease continuum process.
• Serves as a clinical consultant to the health care team.

Acts as a team member to improve healthcare experience and positive patient outcomes.

• Assists with patient's satisfaction with the integrated health care delivery model and access to appropriate care or facility.
• Provides personal, single point of contact for patients and their family, provides referrals to support and ancillary services as needed, and ensures patient has appropriate access to health care services and providers.
• Promotes lifelong learning and evidence-based practice by self and other to improve the care of patients with past, current, or potential diagnosis of cancer.
• Collaborates with treating physician(s) and support staff to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations, emergency department visits or clinic visits and works to improve adherence to treatment through the design and implementation of appropriate patient education and follow-up.

Professional Responsibilities.

• Promotes lifelong learning and evidence-based practice to improve the care of patients with cancer.
• Obtains and then maintains Oncology nursing certification.
• Contributes to the knowledge base of the healthcare community and in support of the Oncology Nurse Navigator role through activities such as involvement in professional organizations, presentations, publications and research.
• Disseminates information about the Oncology Nurse Navigator role to other healthcare team members through peer education, mentoring and preceptor experiences.
• Orients, mentors and guides novice Oncology Nurse Navigators.
• Collaborates with cancer program administration and the cancer committee to develop strategies to fulfill the requirements and standards of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and other relevant accrediting organizations.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 3 to 5 years' progressive clinical nursing with primary care management of patient population
• BSN required
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) through American Heart Association
• Certification in oncology within 2 years of employment.
• Strong oncology knowledge; Basic knowledge of managed care; Working knowledge of insurance coverage and procedures; Working knowledge of community resources; understanding of health care facilities and processes; Strong verbal and written communication skills; Strong interpersonal skills; Proficient computer skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous oncology experience strongly preferred