Oncology Nurse Navigator

About this role 

The Oncology Nurse Navigator (ONN) is a professional RN who provides individualized support, advocacy, and education to Members and their caregivers affected by cancer. The ONN, with oncology-specific clinical knowledge, guides Members, families, and caregivers to help overcome healthcare system barriers. Using the nursing process, an ONN provides education and resources to facilitate and support informed decision making, timely access to quality health, and psychosocial care throughout all phases of the cancer journey. The ONN has the skills and knowledge to coordinate quality, patient-centered care through effective communication with the inter-professional cancer care team and, more important, who are committed and passionate about changing the way cancer patients and their caregivers experience cancer care.  

What you’ll do: 

• Guide, support, collaborate, and advocate for Members/caregivers throughout the cancer care journey.  
• Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills that enable open dialogue and exchange of ideas with Members, caregivers, and colleagues. This includes writing, speaking, and listening skills.  
• Oversee, direct, and provide holistic, culturally competent, ethical, linguistically humble, inclusive and diverse, and evidence-based nursing care. 
• Facilitate the appropriate and efficient delivery of healthcare systems, both within and across systems, and serve as the key contact to promote optimal outcomes. 
• Participate in the tracking, monitoring of Member/caregiver outcomes, and associated quality improvement projects. 
• Assume personal responsibility to maintain working knowledge of evidenced-based information utilized to assist Members/ caregivers with developing scope of services with clearly stated goals and objectives. 
• Provide appropriate and timely education and support to the Member/caregivers and facilitate informed decision making. 
• Identify specific cancer care needs of Members/caregivers and delegate appropriately to support staff. 

Duties and Expectations: 

• Create trusting relationships and address Members/caregivers communication preferences and health literacy needs at all phases of the cancer journey. 
• Meet with Member/caregiver at defined cancer journey touchpoints to review treatment goals, expectations, and concerns. Identify potential and realized barriers to care and facilitate resources to mitigate. 
• Demonstrate and communicate the knowledge, skill, and coordination to provide nursing care and guidance to cancer Members/caregivers from screening to survivorship. Provide emotional support, especially during difficult decision-making periods. 
• Systematically and continually perform the functions of assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating the care according to the nursing process. 
• Facilitate shared decision making: Shared decision making involves ensuring that Member/caregiver is fully informed of risks and benefits of treatment options and that their values and preferences are integrated into treatment decisions. 
• Provide education and information to the Member/caregiver, helping to make the care seamless, continuous, and comprehensive. Initiates and documents Member teaching in appropriate Member/caregiver education documentation modality. 
• Promptly respond to Member/caregiver request for information regarding the disease process, expected side effects of treatment, treatment options, and community resources.  
• Coordinate care by assisting with appointments, including transitioning care outside of their state or other facilities. Assist Member/caregiver with general healthcare coordination across multiple providers and facilities. 
• Promote advance care planning: The ONN can promote advance care planning by encouraging Member to talk about their treatment wishes and overall goals of care. The ONN can help Members formulate questions to discuss with their healthcare providers. 
• Support palliative care: The ONN can support Member use of palliative care services by assessing for late and long-term side effects and other physical barriers to Members’ quality of life. The ONN can also be instrumental in helping patients understand the difference between palliative care and hospice. 
• Gather and review medical information necessary for quality metrics and improvement of program. 
• Function in an organized and time conscious manner. Partner with Members, caregivers, and community resources to provide well-coordinated, timely, compassionate, exemplary, and interdisciplinary care. 
• Collaborate and communicate among health team members, other colleagues, and organizations to promote and protect the best interest of Members/caregivers. Consistently serve as a role model for others by ascribing to Transcarent PACER values.  
• Inform the manager of any concern(s) regarding a Member/caregiver treatment or process. 

What we’re looking for 

• Graduated from accredited nursing school. 
• Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) or other ONCC certification. 
• Oncology Nurse Navigation Certification Preferred (AONN+) 
• Current RN or NP Compact License required with the expectation to obtain licensure in non-compact states within 6 months of hire. 
• Obtain American Cancer Society Leadership in Oncology Navigation (LION) within 3 months of hire 
• Overall computer literacy with proficiency in Windows-based software and Microsoft Office. 
• Bachelor's degree in nursing is required. 
• Experience ONN should have a minimum of three years of oncology navigation work in alignment with the ONS-Oncology Nurse navigator Competencies 
• Excellent communication skills; Highly collaborative and flexible 
• Demonstrates ongoing professional development by continual learning activities