Nurse Navigator

Nurse Navigator

 

Position Summary

 

In collaboration with primary care nurses and medical providers, the Nurse Navigator works with patients to educate them about new medications and possible drug side-effects; potential signs and symptoms associated with their medical conditions; discharge education and planning activities; and medical provider follow-up after discharge from the hospital.

 

The Nurse Navigator will intervene when patient/family concerns or special needs arise during their course of treatment within the hospital setting. The Nurse Navigator works directly with various members of the healthcare team, hospital departments, and administration to solve problems that patients & families may have with the goal of facilitating a positive patient experience during their time in the organization. The Nurse Navigator acts as an intermediary between various hospital departments and the patient/family to facilitate a patient-focused therapeutic environment and positive hospital experience.

 

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

 

 

• Makes routine daily patient rounds to educate patients about new medication and medical care plan. Communicates patient pain, comfort, or other concerns to primary care nurses immediately. Follows up with the patient to ensure concerns were addressed in a timely manner.
• Establishes a rapport with the patient and family to learn what is the most important to them in their hospital experience and their preferences. Communicates findings to the appropriate healthcare team members.
• Responds to and investigates complaints and concerns and communicates identified issues to appropriate staff.
• Works with individuals or departments to limit or resolve delays in service and communicates delays to patients and families.
• Acts as an intermediary to Hospital Administration on behalf of patients and their families.
• Interprets philosophy, policies, procedures, and services to patients and their families as well as visitors.
• Makes follow up phone calls to discharged patients and solicit feedback about their hospital experience and forward any clinical questions to the appropriate unit director/manager.
• Educates health care professionals and employees on the varied ways to humanize a patient’s experience based on feedback from individual patients and their families.

 

• Uses data findings from performance improvement analysis of trends in complaints to mentor employees to develop appropriate service response/action plans.
• Achieves department/organization outcomes
  1. Interacts with patients/families/customers and utilizes feedback to improve and reinforce satisfaction with care and services.
  2. Meets department/organization patient satisfaction goals.

• Identifies and implements systems and processes to improve patient experience perceptions. 
• Utilizes performance measurement to improve patient/customer outcomes. 
• Meets department/organization patient experience improvement goals. 
• Assesses patient or family questions and concerns and develops a plan to address needs. Communicates information to appropriate person(s) in appropriate time frames to meet patient or family questions, concerns, and/or expectations (validation through feedback from supervisors, peers, personal knowledge, or family interview regarding the work performance). 
• Initiates patient or family concern reports, as appropriate, when issues arise. 

 

• Incorporates key concepts into communication with patient and family.
• Consults, collaborates, and cooperates with colleagues, peers, supervisors, and other health care providers in a professional manner to improve the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of patient care.
• Provides input into opportunities for system improvements.
• Collects data about patient care problems, prepares reports, analyzes trends, and reports information to appropriate departments for action.
• Reports non-compliance with patient experience initiatives to appropriate department leaders/director.
• Meets mandatory department/organization job requirements within established time frames.

 

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITY

 

• Anticipates customer needs, understands their expectations and responds appropriately. 
• Treats others with compassion, fairness, courtesy and respect while honoring their uniqueness. 
• Willingly works with others to identify and achieve common goals. 
• Enthusiastically approaches the job and displays pride in the organization. 
• Takes personal responsibility for doing the right thing. 
• Optimizes the talents of self and others and the use of time, materials and equipment. 
• Must demonstrate exceptional communication skills along with excellent customer service skills. 
• Must be able to perform a variety of duties, often changing from one task to another of a different nature, without loss of efficiency or composure, and be able to perform under stressful conditions when confronted with multiple requests, demonstrating prioritizing skills. 

 

QUALIFICATIONS

General Requirements

 

• Licensed Professional Nurse (LVN) preferred. Will consider Registered Nurse (RN).  
• Current LVN or RN California license preferred. 
• Patient experience course or work experience preferred. 
• Must have good communication and people skills to be able to interact with many different kinds of people in a culturally sensitive manner.
• Must be mature and act in a professional manner that is consistent with Mission Community Hospital Values.
• Must adhere to the agreed upon work schedule. Must be available to work weekends and 10-to-12-hour shifts.
• BCLS certification required for LVNs and RNs.

 

 

Physical Aspects of the position

 

This position requires walking, standing and moving for most of an 8-hour shift. The position requires going into patient rooms and talking with patients and visitors that may be upset, anxious and in pain. This position also requires the ability to occasionally lift zero to 20 pounds of weight.

 

Factor

N/A

Rare

Occasionally

Frequently

Constantly

Unassisted Lifting 0 - 20 lbs.

 

 

 

 

  X

 

 

 

 21 - 30 lbs.

  X

 

 

 

 

  31 - 50 lbs.

 

 

 

  X

 

 

 

 

Standing

 

 

 

X

 

Walking

 

 

 

X

 

Sitting

 

 

X

 

 

Carrying

 

 

  X

 

 

Bending/Twisting

 

 

  

X

 

Pushing

 

 

  X 

 

 

Gripping

 

 

  X

 

 

Grasping

 

 

  X

 

 

Listening and talking to patients and families 

 

 

 

X

 

 

Physical Requirements:

Ability to negotiate physical environment safely.

Visual Requirements:

Ability to translate and understand written communications.

Hearing Requirements:

Ability to understand and translate auditory communications.

Working Conditions:

Usual and customary patient care areas. Use safety precautions according to hospital policy and procedure.

 

WORK ENVIRONMENT

 

The patient care unit workload can be unpredictable because of frequent census fluctuations. This position requires mostly walking, standing, and some sitting. This position requires sound judgment, empathy and maturity in handling sensitive issues related to patients and family members.

 

SUPERVISION 

 

The Performance Improvement Manager/Director or designee provides day-to-day employee supervision and has overall responsibility for this position.