ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Clinical Practice
  • Assessment:
    • Assesses physical, psychological and educational needs of patients according to guidelines, standards of care and individual needs.
    • Assesses patient care needs and/or changes in condition throughout treatments and procedures and communicates findings to the provider.
  • Planning
    • Coordinates plan of care for patients, including, but not limited to, appointments, transportation, education, and follow up treatments to ensure timely delivery of diagnostic and treatment services.
    • Discuss with patient estimated and potential out of pocket costs related to course of cancer care and related services.
    • Coordinates scheduling of chemotherapy and other treatments, facilitates processing of provider orders, and coordinates with pharmacy staff on provider orders.
    • Provide and coordinate education and information to patient and family to ensure a seamless, continuous, and comprehensive continuum of care.
    • Ensure that appropriate medical records are available at scheduled appointments.
    • Work with local agencies or providers to provide access to appropriate clinical trials.
  • Implementation
    • Provides professional nursing care to patients based on patient needs and plan of care.
    • Monitors, evaluates and documents patient responses to treatments.
    • Communicates any changes in patient condition during treatments to the provider and implements revised plan of care as needed.
    • Utilizes the EPIC system to document clinical data as required.
  • Patient Education
    • Provides and reinforces patient and family/significant other teaching, such as providing appropriate brochures on treatment, potential side effects, etc. and answering questions.
    • Documents patient and family/significant others educational needs and documents intervention and understanding.
    • Refers to other members of the healthcare team as necessary for assistance to meet patient and family / significant others’ needs.
    • Maintains communication with patients, survivors, families, and health care providers to monitor patient satisfaction with overall Cancer Care Specialists experience.
  • Evaluation and Documentation
    • Documents all observations, interventions, and patient responses to interventions.
    • Witnesses’ patient or authorized person’s signature on consent forms, as needed.
    • Takes, records and follows-through on provider orders as needed.
  • Reporting and Compliance
    • Responsible for ensuring that reporting standards and protocols are met for multiple quality reporting programs
    • Implementation and application of care planning initiatives
  • Other
    • Responsible for working with appropriate staff to ensure that certification requirements for both Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) and OCM are met and maintained.
    • Arrange for language translation or interpretation as needed for patients, families, or significant others.
    • Facilitate a process that provides resources and linkages to follow-up services that are in the best interest of the patient and their continuum of care.
    • Directs patients, families, significant others to exam and/or procedure rooms and treatment areas as needed.
    • Build partnerships with local agencies and groups as a method of providing additional patient services and resources (e.g., referrals to other service agencies, cancer survivor support groups, etc.)
    • Complies with all applicable safety and health regulations, policies and procedures. Complies with established personal protective equipment requirements necessary for protection against exposure to chemotherapeutic agents, blood and body fluids, other potentially infectious material, chemical disinfectants, and other hazardous substances.
    • Performs all duties in a safe, responsible manner using required safety devices and personal protective equipment and following appropriate safety guidelines, including use of Universal Precautions, proper hand washing technique, and other work practice controls which minimize occupational exposure.
• Professional Communication
  • Maintains confidentiality in matters relating to all aspects of employment, including patient/family/significant other confidentiality.
  • Interacts with patients/family/significant others with a variety of developmental and sociocultural backgrounds in appropriate manner.
  • Provides information to patients and family/significant others that reduces anxiety and conveys an attitude of acceptance, sensitivity and caring.
  • Maintains professional relationships and conveys relevant information to other members of the health care team.
    • Internal Contacts: Physicians, NP/PA’s, RN’s, LPN’s, Medical Assistants, laboratory staff, pharmacy staff, secretaries, scheduling, billing representatives, etc., and staff at other CCSI facilities.
    • External Contacts: Research staff, home health care staff, hospice staff, blood banks, hospitals, same day surgery, x-ray departments, couriers, pharmacies, laboratories, floor nurses, other provider offices, interpretation services, local agencies, support groups, etc.
  • Relays information appropriately over computers, telephones, facsimiles, pagers, and other communication devices, and follows-through as needed.
  • Maintains and prioritizes messages, gathers appropriate information needed to respond, and communicates appropriate information to providers.
  • Will be proficient on the electronic medical records system and accurately and completely document patient information utilizing the system as needed.
• Teamwork
  • Works collaboratively as a health care team member.
  • Reports on patient conditions as needed to those who require information, including providers, supervisors, and other professional staff as appropriate while maintaining patient confidentiality.
  • Maintains positive attitude with patients, family/significant others and coworkers.
• Professional Development
  • Attends staff meetings and mandatory in-services.
  • Participates in continuing education opportunities and maintains licensure.
  • Maintains necessary certification(s) and licensure(s).
  • Contributes to the quality of patient care and participates in quality improvement initiatives.
• Coding Review/Coding Accuracy
  • Review and ensure accuracy of diagnosis codes prior to claim submission, complete edits as appropriate, while consulting with provider and designated organization coding expert to ensure accuracy
  • Billing Work Ques-review evaluation and management encounters in the deferred work que to ensure accuracy of diagnosis codes and complete edits as appropriate, while consulting with provider and designated organization coding expert to ensure accuracy

EDUCATION/QUALIFICATIONS: Graduate of an accredited school of professional nursing, with BSN education level preferred. Current licensure in the State of Illinois for practice as a professional nurse. Current CPR certification or willingness to become certified. Must take EPIC training and successfully pass required tests.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES: Knowledge of nursing processes and the ability and willingness to demonstrate and maintain clinical competency (cognitive knowledge and technical skills) as required for the limit of assignment. Ability and willingness to work with patients’ growth and development needs, particularly to patients diagnosed with cancer (newly diagnosed, receiving treatment and terminal care) or immunosuppressed. Ability to manage a sometimes demanding and fast-paced work environment related to changing patient needs, including work with patients with acute, chronic, and complex disease processes and those who are dying. Verbal and written English communication skills for safe and effective patient care and to meet documentation standards. Must be organized, be able to multi-task and have good interpersonal skills. Understands and practices patient confidentiality and follows HIPAA and CCSI/POMS policies. A positive attitude towards health care team members and diverse patient populations.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS OF JOB: Standing, walking, sitting, carrying, pushing, pulling, balancing, bending, stooping, squatting, crouching, twisting, reaching, handling, kneeling, and wrist and digital dexterity. Must be able to move patient by lifting, ambulating, and transfer of patients in wheelchairs, on gurneys and beds. Speaking, hearing, and visual acuity to perform tests on patients; receive and interpret instructions; hearing to take blood pressure and hear breath, heart, and bowel sounds; chart; and operate equipment. Able to support persons (possibly 200 pounds or more) in emergency situations. Able to move quickly from place to place on occasion. Possible driving.

MENTAL DEMANDS: Must be able to work under stress and adapt to changing conditions.

WORKING CONDITIONS: Job duties involve the potential for exposure to blood, body fluids, and chemotherapeutic agents. Normal patient care environment.