Nurse Navigator

Job Description

The Mays Cancer Center Nurse Navigator assesses and manages barriers to care to improve the timeliness, quality, and clinical outcomes of care, and the patient experience. Promotes continuity, multi-disciplinary cancer care and thereby creates a cost-effective value-based environment through integrating functions of case management, utilization review, clinical competence, and discharge planning. Responsible for providing individualized assistance to patients, families, and caregivers, as well as internal and external staff and providers.

Responsibilities

• Provides support and expertise through comprehensive assessment, planning, implementation and overall evaluation of individual patient needs; accountable for management of barriers to timely care, care coordination and discharge planning of all disease site specific navigated patients.
• Facilitates the tumor board (TB) experience and communicates with the TB director to ensure a TB note is documented for each case presented.
• Coordinates the integration of social services, financial counselors, and supportive care resources into the patient care, discharge, home planning processes, external service organizations, agencies and health care facilities. Offers education and guidance surrounding the treatment plan, care team, and resources available to the patient and family.
• Navigates patients through the diagnostic evaluation. Educates and supports each patient empowering them to make informed treatment decisions. Remains a support system throughout the patient's treatment and may be called back into the patients care to resume navigation once discharged from initial navigation services.
• Communicates with physicians, advanced practice providers and entire team at regular intervals and develops effective working relationships; assists physicians to maintain appropriate program value-based care throughout to ensure the highest clinical outcomes.
• Acts as patient advocate; investigates and reports adverse occurrences; measures, documents and reports on quality, clinical, and system improvement metrics associated with the disease site navigated population.
• Maintains outcome driven analysis for disease site data reporting and presentation.
• Assists, in collaboration with the disease site specific medical director, review for appropriate utilization of services from admission through discharge; ensures that patient tests are appropriate and necessary, completed within the established time frame and that results are promptly available.
• Performs staff education related to resource utilization, barrier management, discharge planning and psychosocial aspects of health care delivery. Compliments patient education, provided by faculty and staff, related to disease pathology and treatment plan.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Knowledge as Registered Nurse in a clinical care setting. Intermediate
• Good interpersonal skills. Intermediate
• Utilizes influencing/motivational interviewing skills. Intermediate
• Ability to speak, read, write, and communicate effectively. Advanced
• Ability to coordinate, analyze, observe, make decisions, and meet deadlines in a detail-oriented manner. Intermediate
• Ability to work independently without supervision. Advanced
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, effective organizational and time management skills along with strong teamwork skills. Advanced
• Effective computer skills using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and database software. Intermediate

EDUCATION:

Bachelors degree in Nursing required.


EXPERIENCE:

Three (3) years of nursing experience in a clinic or hospital setting is required.


LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS:

Active CPR/BLS required.

Active TX RN licensure required.

About Us

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) is a nationally recognized, top-tier public research university that unites the power of higher education, biomedical discovery and healthcare within one visionary institution. As the third-largest research university in Texas and a Carnegie R1-designated institution, UT San Antonio is a model of access and excellence - advancing knowledge, social mobility and public health across South Texas and beyond. UT San Antonio serves approximately 42,000 students in 320 academic programs spanning science, engineering, medicine, health, liberal arts, AI, cybersecurity, business, education and more. With 17,000 faculty and staff, UT San Antonio has been recognized by Forbes as one of America's Best Employers for Company Culture.


Benefits Overview

UT Health San Antonio offers an excellent benefits package for its employees. Employees who work at least 20 hours a week, with an appointment of at least 4.5 months, are eligible for benefits.


Medical - UT SELECT Medical insurance is offered free for employees and administered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. Family members can be added to the plan through payroll deduction. Employees and their dependents can also receive discounted copays and coinsurance when using UT Health Physicians, a network of 800 premier physicians including more than 100 specialists. Employees receive $50,000 of group term life insurance and $50,000 of basic accidental death and dismemberment insurance for free, with options to purchase additional employee and dependent coverage for both at group rates.

Dental - Three dental insurance plan options are available for employees and their families through Delta Dental Insurance Company, two PPOs and one dental HMO plan. Both PPO plans allow employees to choose any licensed dentist.


Vision - Fully insured Vision Care benefits are offered by Superior Vision Services. Two vision plan options that offer either standard or enhanced vision benefits.

Disability - Employees can enroll in the Disability Insurance which provides income if a non-work related illness or injury prevents you from working.

FSAs - Employees can enroll in flexible spending accounts (FSAs) to set aside money from earnings before taxes for qualifying dependent day care expenses or out-of-pocket health care expenses.


Retirement - Employees are eligible for either the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) or the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP). TRS is a defined benefit retirement plan which UT Health matches employee contributions. ORP is for eligible faculty staff employees. Voluntary retirement programs are also available to invest before- or after-tax dollars with the choice of five quality retirement plan providers.


Time Off - A generous leave program offers multiple paid leave options:

• Front-loaded Paid Time Off: 128 to 208 hours (16 to 26 days) of Paid Time Off based on years of service, given at the start of each fiscal year. PTO may be prorated in year one based on date of hire.
• Extended Illness Bank: 8 hours (1 day) accrued per month which can be used for illness or injury after one day of Paid Time Off is taken.
• Paid Family Leave: Up to 240 hours (6 weeks) to care for a spouse, child, or parent after 6 months of consecutive employment.
• Holidays: 12 set paid holidays each year.

Discounts - Employees enjoy a range of discounts on services, tickets, and gym membership.

EEO Statement

UT Health San Antonio is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. It is our policy to promote and ensure equal employment opportunity for all individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status.