The Nurse Navigator partners collaboratively with various interdisciplinary specialty team members and coordinates a patient care and communication plan for patients with assigned patient population to ensure continuity of care with compassion, commitment, and connection. Under the supervision of the healthcare providers, they provide patient education related to illness and planned treatment. Ensures continuity of care is maintained and staff, patient, parent safety is a priority. Ensures continuity of care is maintained and service excellence is a priority.
Minimum Education
BSN
Master's Degree (Preferred)
Minimum Work Experience
4 years - Nursing experience
1 year - Demonstrated experience in case management and care coordination (Required)
1 year - Pediatric experience in a comparable setting (Preferred)
1 year - Demonstrated nursing leadership experience (Required)
Specific Requirements and Preferences
Experience in working with patients and families with diverse cultural backgrounds
Bilingual Fluency is a plus, but not required
Required Licenses and Certifications
Registered Nurse in District of Columbia (Required)
Functional Accountabilities
Coordination of Patient Care
1. Work closely with multidisciplinary teams in all specialty areas to coordinate the patient’s care plan and ensure proper communication.
2. Continuously perform patient/family assessments as necessary to ensure needs are met.
3. Use manager for complex issues that arise.
4. Utilize telephonic communication to triage patient concerns and follow-up with patient and parent as needed.
5. Participate in rounds and patient conferences to better meet the care needs of surgical care patients; demonstrate collaboration with a multidisciplinary team including case management and inpatient areas for patient admission, discharge, home care, and postoperative follow-up care.
6. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge related to surgical care patients; provide support and counseling, as appropriate to the clinical situation.
Patient Referral Process
1. Use clinical protocols and evidence-based nursing knowledge to assist patients and families with access to appropriate specialists.
2. Assist patients and their families in obtaining referrals to needed specialists from primary care physicians.
3. Communicate with all members of the healthcare team on behalf of the patient and family.
4. Communicate with referring physicians' offices as required by the patient and care provider.
5. Manage and evaluate referral sources and follow-up experience summary.
Service Excellence
1. Demonstrate therapeutic communication skills by adapting techniques for specific situations.
3. Effectively manage conflict resolution.
4. Serve as a consumer advocate for patient/family concerns; ensure adherence by self and other staff to department and hospital policies.
5. Proactively develop and enhance processes with the goal of improving the clinical experience for referred patients and families and referring health care professionals.
7. Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to patient rounds and patient conferences to better meet the care needs of assigned patients; demonstrate collaboration with a multidisciplinary team for patient admission or ambulatory hospital encounter, discharge, home care, community and school-based services, and follow-up care.
7. Leverage the existing care resources to manage patient care across the continuum to avoid duplication of effort to provide efficient care and support.
Liaison
1. Communicate with referring healthcare professionals and referral sources as required.
2. Continually evaluate with the care team the patient coordination and processes to identify opportunities for improvement in all aspects of the patient and family experience.
3. Leverage the navigation process to help connect the family with their assigned medical team.
