Oncology Nurse Navigator (RN) - MD Anderson Program at LBJ Hospital

Seeking an experienced Oncology Nurse Navigator to join the MD Anderson Oncology Program at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. This role will provide individualized assistance to patients, families, and caregivers, offering education and resources to help promote informed decision making and access to quality medical and supportive care services, helping circumvent barriers to care in the healthcare system from screening and pre-diagnosis of cancer through all phases of the disease-state experience and beyond to survivorship.

The ideal candidate for this position is a Registered Nurse (RN) with current oncology experience and a demonstrated commitment to excellence in patient care. OCN certification is preferred, reflecting advanced knowledge and dedication to oncology nursing practice.

The schedule will be Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday will be on-site at LBJ. Tuesday and Thursday will be remote days.

MD Anderson offers employees:
•    Paid employee medical benefits (zero premium) starting on first day for employees who work 30 or more hours per week.
•    Group Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D and Disability coverage.
•    Paid time off (PTO) and Extended Illness Bank (EIB) paid leave accruals.
•    Paid institutional holidays, wellness leave, childcare leave, and other paid leave programs.
•    Tuition Assistance Program after six months of service.
•    Teachers Retirement System defined-benefit pension plan and two voluntary retirement plans.
•    Employer paid life, AD&D and an illness-related reduced salary pay program.
•    Extensive wellness, recognition, fitness, employee health programs and employee resource groups.
•    Opportunities for professional growth through Career Development Center and Mentoring programs.

KEY FUNCTIONS
Care Coordination and Communication
•    Provide clinical provisional review recommending appropriate first visit specialty consultation needs to Harris Health Patient Access Teams.
•    Ensure patients maintain contact with financial counselors during approval process for the patient financial assistance program.
•    Assess patient, family and caregiver needs upon initial encounter including assessing barriers to care, performing distress screening and making referrals to appropriate disciplines and documenting accordingly.
•    Coordinate appointments for consults with support services within established service standards, including social workers, dieticians, genetic counselors, therapists, and others.
•    Coordinate scheduling of appointments to decrease the length of hospital stay, reduce readmission rate, and improve the time between hospital discharge and first outpatient visit.
•    Apply knowledge of payer requirements and insurance processes and their impact on referrals and patient care decisions to establish appropriate referrals, as requested or needed.

Education
•    Provide education related to oncology diagnosis, treatment, support services and local or national resources.
•    Educate patient, family and caregiver on first appointment preparation.  Set patient expectations on scheduling, first in-person visit and how treatment plan is determined.

Communication
•    Perform outreach efforts across MD Anderson and Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital to establish and maintain positive working relationships with key ambulatory and inpatient care team “customers”—faculty, departments, APPs, nursing, case managers, social services, and others.

Documentation
•    Develop concise patient summaries for use by the care team and document recommendations made utilizing standardized care protocols in accordance with nationally recognized care guidelines.
•    Utilize navigation evidence-based tools developed to assess patient, family and caregiver needs such as pain, fatigue, and performance status.

Professional Development and Performance
•    Participate in performance improvement activities to enhance the patient, family and/or caregiver experience across the continuum.
•    Complete mandatory training, education and annual core competencies programs as outlined by MD Anderson.
•    Develop knowledge of available local and national resources for patients and families.