Oncology Screening Nurse Navigator

The role of the Oncology Screening Nurse Navigator is to proactively engage with adult patients from our communities to facilitate timely cancer screening, diagnosis, and linkage to treatment throughout the care continuum. The Oncology Screening Nurse Navigator will work closely with multidisciplinary clinical care teams to coordinate supportive services and community resources to address the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) needs of our patients. This position will work in collaboration with the clinical care team, including the Access Center, individual provider and clinic check-in staff, nursing teams, lab and imaging associates, and providers to ensure optimal outcomes for the patient's health. The primary responsibility of this position is to educate the GLIN/GPPC/KH staff in delivering safe, high quality, and efficient care to the patient population regarding their health care screenings, including Colorectal Cancer Screening, Breast Cancer Screening, Lung Cancer screening, Prostate Screening, and Cervical Cancer Screening. This position will involve staff and patients, implementing an organization-wide multilevel program using evidence-based interventions. The Oncology Screening Nurse Navigator will have direct and indirect patient care responsibilities and may require the Navigator to travel to local hospitals, clinics, and offices to meet with clinical care teams and support patients. The Oncology Screening Nurse Navigator coordinates the care for the patient prior to the patient's pathology result and into the first oncology consult visit.

This position will work with the manager, oncology nurse navigators, and other team members to gather data, utilize standard metrics, identify patient barriers, create a plan of care for screening, and coordinate smooth transitions of care.

The Oncology Screening Nurse Navigator is a professional Registered Nurse with prevention, screening, and oncology-specific clinical knowledge, and will offers individual assistance to patients, families, and caregivers to ensure screening adherence, education, and outreach. Using the nursing process, the Oncology Screening Nurse Navigator provides education and resources to facilitate informed decision-making and timely access to quality health and psychosocial care as the patient approaches their screening visit and follow-up care.

Duties and Responsibilities (including but not limited to)

• Develops relationships with clinical (LPN, RN, APP, MD) and non-clinical office staff, lab staff, call center staff, and Quality Team to identify smooth processes in the development of the screening process.
• Participates in Quality team meetings, site meetings, Commission on Cancer (CoC) meetings – when appropriate, and meetings for grant process development and improvement initiatives.
• Identifies system and/or organizational barriers to care, and recommends strategies to address them
• Motivates and enhances cancer screening awareness among providers
• Helps to coordinate meetings with oncology navigation, GLIN IPA, and other stakeholders to support effective communication for cancer screening activities
• Works with key GLIN IPA partners to ensure key deliverables are met throughout the grant period
• Participates in the overall GLIN IPA strategic planning efforts and helps to ensure that the screening activities take into account the everyday practicalities of clinic, flow and functioning
• Contacts high risk patients prior to cancer screening results
• Completes SDoH assessment to understand patients’ life context and barriers to care and connect patients to internal and external resources based on their individual needs
• Coaches and navigates patients who do not respond to initial education by providers (do not return FIT kit, do not follow through with colonoscopy, etc.)
• Collaborates closely with clinical care teams to coordinate pre-screening care and services
• Utilizes Interpreter Services for patient communication
• Builds relationships with community-based social service organizations
• Presents Oncology Screening Navigation outcomes to internal and external stakeholders
• Obtains Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators’ (AONN) Oncology Patient Navigator Certification within (2) years of hire.
• Completes Oncology Screening Nurse Navigation competency trainings and professional development opportunities, including required number of oncology navigation related continuing education hours annually (may vary based on AONN/Oncology Nursing Society (ONS)/CoC requirements)
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications or Education, Training, and Experience

Education:

Associate’s degree in Nursing Degree from a program accredited by Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA)

Bachelor of Science – BSN preferred

• Work Experience
  • Minimum two years oncology, including solid tumor nursing experience required
  • Experience working in a high volume, fast-paced setting required
  • Demonstrated high levels of independence, flexibility, and problem–solving abilities
  • Compassionate, empathetic and assertiveness to advocate for patients’ needs
  • Demonstrated ability to accurately and efficiently review, prioritize, and manage large volumes of clinical data
  • Community outreach experience preferred
  • Oncology ambulatory nursing care coordination experience preferred
  • Experience in GI cancer, thoracic surgery and or breast cancer preferred
  • Prior experience with telephone triage in oncology, thoracic and/or GI surgery and/or pulmonology OCN or AONN preferred
• Licenses and Certifications
  • Registered Nurse license required
  • Valid driver’s license- this position works at multiple sites with some travel required.

Serves the following age groups

• Adult patient and family members (18-65 years)
• Geriatric patient and family members (over 65 years)

Knowledge and Skills:

• Adaptable to new technologies and software.
• Basic PC skills (MS Word/Outlook/PPT/Excel).
• Knowledge of Federal and State regulations for Medicare and Medicaid and other national and state funded programs.
• Knowledge of community resources access.
• Strong Social Work Skills (empathy, active listening, trauma-informed care, person-first language, crisis de-escalation)

• Problem-Solving
• Patient/Customer Service
• Interpersonal skills
• Written and oral communication skills
• Teamwork
• Change Management
• Quality Management
• Ethics
• Organizational support
• Adaptability
• Dependability
• Initiative
• Judgment
• Self-Motivated

This is a hybrid position and may be working onsite at multiple locations in WNY with some traveling required

We offer an outstanding benefits package including health, dental, 401K, vacation, and PTO, as well as a great working environment

Pay range: $70,000 to $85,000

The referenced pay range represents the minimum and maximum compensation for this job. Individual annual salaries/hourly rates will be set within job’s compensation range, and will be determined by considering factors including, but not limited to market data, education, experience, qualifications, and expertise of the individual and internal equity considerations

Equal Employment

Our culture encourages individual development, embraces an inclusive environment, rewards innovative excellence, and leads New York in provider and patient satisfaction. Great Lakes Integrated Network (GLIN) values diversity, inclusion, and equity as matters of fairness and effectiveness. We are committed to hiring and retaining a staff that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve, fostering an inclusive working environment where staff of all backgrounds feel welcomed and engaged.

Great Lakes Integrated Network is an Equal Opportunity Employer