Regional Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist

Job Summary

The Regional Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) provides expert clinical leadership, consultation, and strategic direction for oncology services across Kaiser Permanente Northwest, serving Oregon and Southwest Washington. Utilizing advanced nursing practice knowledge, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and systems leadership, the CNS partners with nursing leaders, direct care nurses, physicians, advanced practice providers, and interdisciplinary teams to advance professional nursing practice, optimize patient outcomes, and promote excellence in oncology care delivery across all settings, including acute care hospitals, ambulatory clinics, ambulatory surgery centers, care continuum services, regional advice nursing, and dentistry.

The CNS serves as a regional subject matter expert for oncology and hematology services, leading initiatives that improve quality, safety, patient experience, care coordination, and regulatory compliance. Responsibilities include assessing care delivery systems, identifying opportunities for practice improvement, developing and implementing evidence-based standards of care, supporting professional development, and advancing nursing science and innovation throughout the oncology service line.

This role provides specialized expertise in cellular therapy and immunotherapy programs, including Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, supporting program development, accreditation readiness (Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT), clinical practice standards, staff competency, quality oversight, and interdisciplinary care coordination. The CNS collaborates across inpatient and outpatient settings to ensure safe, high-quality, and compliant delivery of complex cellular therapy services while supporting organizational objectives, regulatory requirements, and emerging oncology treatment advances.

Through consultation, coaching, and collaborative leadership, the Regional Oncology CNS fosters a culture of professional excellence, evidence-based practice, continuous learning, and patient-centered care to advance oncology outcomes across the region

Facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration by leading collaborative efforts between nursing and various health care disciplines to drive the strategic implementation of best practices, fostering a culture of consistency and continuity of care, and optimizing quality outcomes for patients. Analyzes patient needs to develop and evaluate individualized care plans by applying highly advanced clinical knowledge in area of specialization. Prepares and delivers educational opportunities for patients, families, and staff by leading the assessment and development of content to meet diverse learning needs, preferences, and cultural backgrounds of individuals. Leads program development and quality improvement through evidence-based practice by leading complex initiatives to develop and implement programs aimed at improving patient outcomes and enhancing the quality of care delivery. Promotes compliance with regulatory standards by engaging stakeholders to assess the impact of policy changes on patient care delivery and workflow processes.

Essential Responsibilities

• Promotes learning in others by communicating information and providing advice to drive projects forward; builds relationships with cross-functional stakeholders. Listens, responds to, seeks, and addresses performance feedback; provides actionable feedback to others, including upward feedback to leadership and mentors junior team members. Practices self-leadership; creates and executes plans to capitalize on strengths and improve opportunity areas; influences team members within assigned team or unit. Adapts to competing demands and new responsibilities; adapts to and learns from change, challenges, and feedback. Models team collaboration within and across teams.
• Conducts or oversees business-specific projects by applying deep expertise in subject area; promotes adherence to all procedures and policies. Partners internally and externally to make effective business decisions; determines and carries out processes and methodologies; solves complex problems; escalates high-priority issues or risks, as appropriate; monitors progress and results. Develops work plans to meet business priorities and deadlines; coordinates and delegates resources to accomplish organizational goals. Recognizes and capitalizes on improvement opportunities; evaluates recommendations made; influences the completion of project tasks by others.
• Evaluates evidence-based practices and clinical guidelines by: conducting literature searches in area of specialization and keeping abreast of developments in the field to ensure alignment with current best develop highly advanced knowledge; thoroughly assessing current clinical practices and outcomes to identify areas for enhancement, advocating for widespread adoption of best practices; and leading the adoption of clinical best practices and guidelines, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to drive change and innovation.
• Analyzes patient needs to develop and evaluate individualized care plans by: applying highly advanced clinical knowledge in area of specialization to analyze and assess patient needs to collaboratively develop individualized care plans for complex and specialized cases while providing guidance personnel; leading the evaluation of effectiveness of care plans through ongoing assessment, analysis, and revision, resolving issues and mitigating risks as they arise; and providing consultation to patients, families, and interdisciplinary team members to promote patient-centered care, fostering collaboration and communication.
• Facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration by: leading collaborative efforts between nursing and various health care disciplines to drive the strategic implementation of evidence-based best practices, fostering a culture of consistency and continuity of care, and optimizing quality outcomes for patients; driving engagement with stakeholders to ensure seamless delivery of care, allocating resources effectively, and escalating issues as needed; and influencing the decision-making processes that affect patient care outcomes, fostering collaboration and communication among team members.
• Prepares and delivers educational opportunities for patients, families, and staff by: leading the assessment and development of content to meet diverse learning needs, preferences, and cultural backgrounds of individuals including marginalized or underserved populations with the goal of fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion; fostering partnerships with health care providers and external stakeholders to champion patient and staff education initiatives, cultivating high levels of engagement and participation; driving a culture of learning and development within the organization, allocating resources to support ongoing education and training initiatives in area of specialization; and utilizing the Nursing Process to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of educational programs, identifying and resolving issues, and implementing improvements.
• Promotes compliance with regulatory standards and best practices by: engaging stakeholders to assess the impact of policy changes on patient care delivery and workflow processes, fostering collaboration and communication; providing expert input in policy/protocol creation, development, and review processes, ensuring alignment with regulatory standards, evidence-based practice, and organizational goals and objectives; and engaging with staff and stakeholders to evaluate the effectiveness of policies and procedures, resolving issues and making improvements as needed.
• Leads program development and quality improvement through evidence-based practice by: leading complex initiatives to develop and implement programs aimed at improving patient outcomes and enhancing the quality of care delivery; conducting advanced analyses of program outcomes and performance metrics, identifying opportunities for improvement and making recommendations for action; fostering stakeholder buy-in and support for quality improvement initiatives, fostering collaboration and communication; and synthesizing patient and staff feedback to evaluate program efficiency, ensuring seamless alignment with organizational goals and strategic objectives.