Patient Navigator

DEPARTMENT: ONCOLOGY ADMINISTRATION

F ACILITY: Radiation and Medical Oncology

WORK TYPE: Full Time

S HIFT: Daytime

The Patient Navigator is responsible for delivering quality care coordination during transition from acute care to the next level of care and community to patients. This position involves initial hospital visit, one on one education, follow-up appointment scheduling, interfacing effectively with other departments and transitional telephonic follow-up in collaboration with the patient, family, physician and patient care teams. The Patient Navigator utilizes advanced clinical skills to facilitate the provision of care including the assessment, planning, intervention and evaluation of patient care. Promotes and evaluates the effective utilization of resources using current clinical knowledge, awareness of community services to achieve optimal clinical and resource outcomes while providing excellent service to customers and associates.

* Practices standard precautions for Infection Control.

• Assures the timely assessment of the overall health status and post care needs of assigned patients.
• Completes all documentation prior to shift end.
• Conducts reassessments on assigned patients (and documents) per unit policy and when the patient’s status changes.
• Initiates orders as incorporated into plan of care.
• Completes nursing interventions and physician’s orders in a timely manner during shift.
• Accurately interprets, requests, and transcribes orders for medications, treatments, procedures, lab work, and other diagnostic procedures and consultants.
• Follows Nursing Practice Guidelines and policies related to medication administration and IV therapy.
• Accurately states patient’s condition to coworkers at shift report, physician on rounds, and to other associates when required.
• Follows hospital policies and standards of Nursing Care, Nursing Practice Guidelines, and provides care appropriate to patient age.
• Oversees all care on assigned patients, assuring a high caliber of patient care is provided.
• Correctly and accurately recognizes respiratory or cardiac arrest and immediately beings CPR and calls Code Blue.
• Reviews patient’s and/or significant other’s knowledge related to patient disease process, cause, preventative measures, and treatment; develops plans for teaching; documents patient’s/significant other’s response/level of understanding.
• Ensures post d/c follow-up calls are addressed/completed.
• Keeps abreast of pertinent federal, and state regulations and laws and Tift Regional Health System, Inc. (“TRHS”) policies as they presently exist and as they change or are modified.
• Understands and adheres to: TRHS’ compliance standards as they appear in TRHS’s Corporate Compliance Policy, Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Policy; and HIPAA and TRHS policies regarding privacy and security of protected health information.
• Demonstrates the ability to perform tasks that meet the age-specific requirements of the persons, patients, vendors, and staff that the employee is charged to interact with as required by the position.
• Offers suggestions on ways to improve operations of department and reduce costs.
• Attends all mandatory education programs.
• Improves self-knowledge through voluntarily attending continuing education/certification classes.
• Maintains required competency levels as identified in written exams, skills checklists, skills labs, annual safety and health requirements as well as service excellence education hours requirements.
• Cross-trains in order to better assist co-workers and to provide maximum efficiency in the department.
• Volunteers/participates on hospital committees, functions, and department projects.
• Manages resources effectively.
• Reports equipment in need of repair in order to extend life of equipment and removes malfunctioning equipment out of service with timely reporting to the appropriate personnel.
• Makes good use of time so as to not create needless overtime.
  

* Associate's Degree
in Education specialization:
Essential:

• Nursing
  

* REGISTERED NURSE

Other information:
Minimum of two (2) years of nursing experience required. Must maintain current licensure as a Registered Nurse in the State of Georgia. Bachelor's degree in nursing preferred.