Nurse Navigator-Surgery

Overview

Texas Oncology is looking for a Nurse Navigator to join our team!This position will support the Austin, TX location and will work Monday through Friday 8:00a to 4:30p. This position will require occasional travel to North Austin and Georgetown locations.

Texas Oncology is the largest community oncology provider in the country and has approximately 600+ providers in 220+ sites across Texas and southeastern Oklahoma.  Our founders pioneered community-based cancer care because they believed in making the best available cancer care accessible to all communities, allowing people to fight cancer at home with the critical support of family and friends nearby. Our mission is still the same today—at Texas Oncology, we use leading-edge technology and research to deliver high-quality, high-touch, evidence-based cancer care to help our patients achieve “More breakthroughs. More victories.” ® in their fight against cancer.  Today, Texas Oncology treats half of all Texans diagnosed with cancer on an annual basis.

Why work for us?

Come join our team that is responsible for helping lead Texas Oncology in treating more patient diagnosed with cancer than any other provider in Texas.  We offer our employees a competitive benefits package that includes Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short-term and Long-term disability coverage, a generous PTO program, a 401k plan that comes with a company match, a Wellness program that rewards you practicing a healthy lifestyle, and lots of other great perks such as Tuition Reimbursement, an Employee Assistance program and discounts on some of your favorite retailers. 

Join a Team That Invests in Your Future

At Texas Oncology, we recognize the long-term impact of our people and are committed to rewarding performance and potential. That’s why select roles may be eligible to participate in our Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP): an incentive program designed to attract, retain, and reward top talent.

What is the Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP)?

Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP): is an incentive program that typically vests over a three-year period and is tied to both individual performance and the operational success of Texas Oncology. Awards are discretionary and based on your position, performance, and potential for future career growth at Texas Oncology. Awards are reviewed and approved during the annual compensation review. LTIP awards are subject to your continued employment through the award payment date, and are governed by the written terms and conditions of the LTIP document.

What does the Nurse Navigator do?

The Oncology Nurse Navigator (ONN) is responsible for providing individual assistance to patients, families, and caregivers to overcome health care system barriers and provide timely access to quality healthcare within a community oncology setting. Utilizing the nursing process, the Oncology Nurse Navigator provides patient education and access to relevant internal and external resources. Primary objectives are to facilitate informed decision making and timely access to high quality health and psychosocial care through all phases of the cancer continuum. Routine collaboration with internal departments and external referral resources are anticipated, including scheduling, financial counseling, lab, pharmacy, social work, nursing, surgical, radiation and imaging, dietary, and others. Regular and frequent interface with practice-based leadership teams, physicians, and clinical staff is required to promote and engage the patient navigation process.

Responsibilities

The essential duties and responsibilities:

• Performs coordination of care during the full continuum of cancer care experience

• Identifies potential and real gaps in care delivery; seeks out opportunities for avoidance and/or closure

• Prepares for, organizes and leads the Patient Care Conference (huddle) at regular intervals; communicates interventional outcomes to full care team in a timely manner

• Performs assessment of patient risk stratification

• Performs basic psychosocial assessments and provides emotional support; delegates and/or make referrals for additional screening and support as needed

• Develops appropriate nursing diagnoses and corresponding action plans as needed

• Supports and/or provides oral chemotherapy education, adherence and side effect monitoring

• Holds or participates in survivorship and advance care planning visits; makes referrals as needed

• Participates in research, quality, and performance improvement, including reporting on navigation metrics

• Supports patient advocacy and empowerment

• Participates in community outreach and cancer prevention education

• Knowledgeable of practice operations guidel

Qualifications

The ideal candidate for the position will have the following background and experience:  

• Bachelor’s prepared Registered Nurse (BSN), Oncology Certification (OCN) preferred, Nurse Navigator Certification a plus

• 5 (five) years work experience as a Registered Nurse in an oncology practice or clinic

Critical Skills:

• Demonstrated leadership, interpersonal and collaboration skills

• Ability to apply the full nursing process in day-to-day clinical operations, including assessment, analysis and nursing diagnosis, care planning, implementation and outcomes evaluation

• Ability to assess health disparities, identify needs of populations and cultures found within the general facility service area, describe a patient navigation process to address those needs, and document outcomes

• Ability to prioritize and re-prioritize quickly

• Strong organizational and critical thinking skills

• Ability to apply and/or oversee care coordination in conjunction with the multidisciplinary team

• Strong verbal and written communication skills

Additional Knowledge/Skills 

• Working computer and internet skills, including an electronic EMR system

• Basic knowledge of local community resources

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Requires full range of body motion including handling and lifting patients, manual and finger dexterity, and eye-hand coordination. Requires standing and walking for extensive periods of time. Occasionally lifts and carries items weighing up to 40 lbs. Requires corrected vision and hearing to normal range.

-Required to lift and assist patients as requested.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Exposure to communicable diseases, toxic substances, ionizing radiation, medical preparations and other conditions common to an oncology/hematology clinic environment may occur.