Nurse Navigator

Nurse Navigator

Experience the HCA Healthcare difference where colleagues are trusted, valued members of our healthcare team. Grow your career with an organization committed to delivering respectful, compassionate care, and where the unique and intrinsic worth of each individual is recognized.

The Nurse Navigator is a registered nurse who possesses advanced knowledge and skill in the area of cardiac nursing. Makes decisions of moderate difficulty. Handles confidential information regarding patient records. Operates and analyzes telemetry cardiac monitors, exercise equipment and patient evaluation tools. May be required to make critical decisions concerning the initiative of emergency medical procedures.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Assists in the daily operations of the outpatient heart failure clinic.
• Maintains QC on equipment, crash cart and refrigerators.
• Monitors temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure in stress MVO2 procedure room.
• Monitors telemetry and patient condition during outpatient stress tests.
• Manages and monitors patients receiving infusions of inotropes in clinic. Correctly calculates doses and confirms by second method.
• Administers medications to outpatients as ordered.
• Educates patients regarding heart failure, treatment, medications, and palliative care options.
• Facilitates referral of patients for consultations with Dietician, Social Services, Palliative care, Pharmacy, and Cardiology as needed.
• Communicates with Advanced Practice Nurse and/or Cardiologist as needed to provide optimal patient care.
• Performs 6-minute hall walk test with patients.
• Performs venipuncture to obtain blood samples, IV access, and administration of medication.
• Rooms patients while obtaining routine V/S and completing a review of systems.
• Documents patient treatment regularly and accurately according to departmental policy.
• Documents legible and concise entries in the medical record.
• Documents complete medical history on each patient on initial session and updated medical record appropriately with each visit.
• Performs medication reconciliation on each visit.
• Performs appropriate patient preparation for each visit and/or procedure
• Assists with inpatient heart failure patient care optimization.
• Assist with identification of inpatients with heart failure
• Facilitate transfer of patients with advanced heart failure to the heart failure POD.
• Identify patients who meet criteria for referral to heart failure clinic and facilitate that referral and appointments.
• Provides education to inpatient heart failure patients.
• Collects data on inpatient heart failure patients.
• Follow-up phone calls to discharged heart failure patients within 72 hours of discharge.
• Ensures and documents scheduled appointment with home health agency, heart failure clinic, or cardiologist within 7 days of discharge from hospital
• Initiates advanced cardiac life support measures according to SAMC protocols in the event of a cardiac emergency.
• Provides appropriate education to all patients.
• Teaches patients and families understanding, treatment and management of cardiovascular disorders.
• Document patient's education, the patient's understanding and/or a follow-up plan.
• Facilitates family participation in the teaching plan.
• Familiar with current standards of practice and clinical and inpatient protocols.
• Adheres to exercise protocols and responds to adverse reactions appropriately.
• Makes recommendations to the heart failure nurse manager program changes, updates or revisions to promote continuous quality care.
• Assists the heart failure staff in representing/promoting the heart failure program to the community and hospital/medical staff.
• Becomes familiar with the ACC/AHA guidelines of Heart Failure.
• Demonstrates effective communication and organizational skills, and evidence of professional development.
• Promotes interdepartmental cooperation and acts as a liaison in problem solving for assigned programs.
• Reacts appropriately to patient behavior.
• Maintains required certification and actively seeks further development in the area of heart failure through the use of hospital and outside resources.
• In a timely manner, clearly communicates identified problems with the Heart failure nurse manager or patient problems with appropriate referring physicians
• Performs miscellaneous job duties as assigned in the absence of the nurse manager or supervisor.
• Maintains a flexible working schedule to allow for clinic coverage

Education:

• Graduate of an approved school for registered nurses and current license to practice nursing in the state of Texas. Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) certification preferred. Certification as a heart failure nurse preferred (CHFN)

Experience:

• Minimal 2 years' experience as a RN with 1-2 years' experience working with cardiac patients, preferably on a telemetry unit or coronary care unit. Has been directly involved in education to and care of the patient with coronary heart disease, including heart failure.

Certification/License:

• Current license to practice nursing in the State of Texas • BLS required per policy • ACLS preferred per policy

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• The employee must be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care based upon physical, social, educational, safety and related criteria, appropriate to the age of the patients served in the assigned service area. The skill and knowledge needed to provide such care may be gained through education, training or experience.