Clinical Nurse-Ambulatory Navigator

Clinical Nurse - Ambulatory Navigator

Location: Bloomington Hospital Onsite

Position: Clinical Nurse - Ambulatory Navigator

Shift: M-F, either 4 x 10 hours or 5 x 8 hours; no holidays, occasional Sat or Sun for community events, but will get time off during the week to make up for the weekend hours.

The Clinical Nurse - Ambulatory Navigator coordinates the care needs of assigned patients and develops comprehensive plans to manage care delivery across the patient care continuum. Partners with patients and their primary physicians to develop customized care plans based on individual needs and preferences. Collaborate with physicians, nurses, health professionals, social workers, and others to ensure appropriate tests and treatments are delivered in a timely fashion. Acts as an advocate for the patient, balancing care needs and financial considerations to ensure efficient and effective treatments.

Position Overview:

The Clinical Nurse - Ambulatory Navigator plays a vital role in coordinating patient care, developing personalized care plans, and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to optimize treatment delivery. The role emphasizes patient advocacy, care management, and efficient resource utilization, ensuring a seamless continuum of care tailored to each patient's unique needs.

Oncology Navigation-Essential Job Functions:

• Care Coordination:
  • Navigates oncology patients across the continuum of care beginning with the diagnosis of cancer to survivorship, by streamlining and coordinating patient appointments, specialist referrals, diagnostic imaging, and treatments across multiple providers and facilities.
• Patient Assessment & Triage:
  • Perform comprehensive clinical assessments to identify physical, emotional, and financial barriers to care. Anticipate and mitigate obstacles to help the patient adhere to their treatment plan.
  • Collaborates with the multi-disciplinary team to ensure continuity of care from one provider to the next. Tracks the patient closely and ensures that care is smoothly coordinated among disciplines using established tracking system.
  • Completes the Survivorship Plan of care when the patient completes therapy, facilitates discussion with the patient and mailing/scanning of the Plan of Care.
  • Communicates with physicians and other members of the interdisciplinary team, within IU Health, as well as with outside providers.
  • Coordinates scheduling of appointments with multidisciplinary teams to ensure timely referral and transition into specialty services.
• Education & Advocacy:
  • Develops a familiarity in the chemotherapy protocols to support patients during chemotherapy treatment.
  • Educate patients and families on specific cancer diagnoses, treatment options, potential side effects, and survivorship. Translate complex clinical data into easily understandable information to promote shared decision-making.
  • Provides information on maintaining optimal health and prevention of Cancer Recurrence including instruction on the importance of regular visit to their provider for exams, clinical follow up and imaging as recommended by their provider, maintaining proper nutrition and exercise.
• Resource Connection:
  • Connect patients with critical support services, including financial counselors, nutritional counseling, social work, transportation assistance, and support groups.
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration:
  • Participate actively in multidisciplinary tumor boards and care conferences, and navigation team meetings. Communicate recommendations back to the patient and integrate them into the overall care path.
  • Participates in community outreach programs.
• Clinical Trials Promotion:
  • Collaborate with physicians and research teams to screen patients for clinical trial eligibility, facilitating enrollment and tracking as appropriate.
• Documentation & Tracking:
  • Maintain accurate and detailed documentation of patient interactions, interventions, and navigation pathways within the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.
  • Track program metrics to evaluate navigation outcomes and programmatic efficacy, including National Accreditation Standards.
• Core Competencies and Skills
  • Clinical Expertise: Deep understanding of cancer pathologies, staging, treatment modalities (chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy), and symptom management.
  • Communication: Exceptional interpersonal, active listening, and therapeutic communication skills. Ability to deliver complex or distressing news with extreme empathy and clarity.
  • Problem Solving & Autonomy: Strong critical thinking skills with the ability to self-direct, prioritize high-stress workflows, and creatively solve logistical healthcare barriers.
  • Tech Savviness: Proficiency with Electronic Health Records (EHR) and standard office/communication platforms.
  • Adheres to Oncology Navigation Standards of Professional Practice
  • Adheres to key Touchpoints for Navigation based on disease site
  • Certifications Needed:
    • Obtains either Chemotherapy/Biotherapy certification or attends ONS Fundamentals Course
    • Obtains LION (Leadership in Oncology Navigation) certification within 3 months of hire
    • Obtains OCN (Oncology Certified Nurse) within 3 years of hire
    • Recommend ONN-CG (Oncology Nurse Navigator-Certified Generalist) certification within 5 years of hire.

Qualifications & Requirements:

Education:

- Associates of Nursing (ASN) required.

- Bachelor of Nursing (BSN) preferred.

Licensure & Certifications:

- Active Registered Nurse (RN) license in Indiana or Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) RN license.

- Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through the American Heart Association (AHA).

- Additional advanced life support certifications may be required per department policies.

- Specialty certifications may be required depending on department/provision of care.

Experience & Knowledge:

- 3-5 years of clinical work experience preferred.

- Knowledge of personal computers, word processing, and database software.

- Understanding of medical terminology, medical record requirements, regulations, and policies.

- 3-5 years of Oncology experience Strongly Preferred, OCN preferred

Why Join IU Health?

Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits

Opportunities for professional growth and leadership development

Supportive environment committed to clinical excellence and staff empowerment

Work in a dynamic, patient-centered setting with a focus on safety and quality

To learn more about our benefits, visit: careers.iuhealth.org/pages/benefits-designed-for-you