Overview

The Ambulatory Nurse Navigator for Breast Surgery plays a key role in supporting patients through every phase of their breast surgery journey. This position ensures seamless coordination between patients, their families, and a multi-disciplinary care team consisting of breast surgeons, medical and radiation oncology, radiology, nursing, social work, and others to ensure that patients receive the highest quality of care throughout their treatment process.

Patient Education and Engagement

• Provide detailed education to patients and their families about the purpose of the clinic and what to expect on the day of their visit.
• Conduct distress screening in advance of or on day of clinic.
• Provide educational materials and discuss pre- and post-operative education and help patients understand their care plan, and recovery processes.
• Educate patients about survivorship, set expectations for the post-treatment transition, and remain available to patients and families for questions after the completion of treatment.

Care Coordination

• Serve as main point of contact for patients and families.
• Ensure referrals to supportive care and support services are made in a timely way; facilitate scheduling and monitor patients to ensure follow-through.
• Track patient progress and keep other care team members apprised.
• Serve as main point of contact for referring physicians and their staff.
• Collaborate with referring physicians to understand their preferences for communication about patients test results and treatment progress and manage those communications.
• Help eligible patients access appropriate clinical trials.
• Collaborate with local individuals, agencies, and organizations to facilitate access to community-based cancer care services.

Clinical Assessment and Monitoring

• Perform comprehensive nursing assessments to evaluate patients' physical and emotional well-being before and after surgery.
• Monitor patients' progress throughout their treatment journey, identifying potential complications and addressing them promptly.
• Provide ongoing follow-up care and support to patients, ensuring adherence to treatment plans and addressing any concerns that arise.

Enhance Access to Care

• Inform patients of test results.
• Track individual patient's progress along care continuum, identify potential bottlenecks and perform appropriate interventions.
• Work with oncology administrators to identify key timeliness of care metrics for performance monitoring.
• Identify and help patients overcome barriers to care (e.g., lack of insurance or lack of transportation)
• Support patients following active treatment into survivorship.

Administrative Duties

• Help maintain accurate and up-to-date patient records
• Assist with scheduling and coordinating diagnostic tests and follow-up appointments.

Requirements:

• Requires an Associates of Nursing (ASN).
• Bachelors of Nursing (BSN) preferred.
• Requires an active Registered Nurse (RN) license in the state of Indiana or an active Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) RN license.
• Requires that the RN has graduated from a nationally accredited nursing program. 3-5 years of experience preferred.
• Requires Basic Life Support certification through the AHA.
• Other advanced life support certifications may be required per unit/department specialty according to patient care policies.
• Specialty certifications may be required per unit/department specialty in accordance with the department provision of care.
• Requires knowledge of personal computers using various types of word processing and database software.
• Requires clinical work experience, medical terminology.
• Requires understanding of medical record requirements, regulations and policies.