Summary
Responsible and accountable for all elements of the nursing process when providing and/or supervising direct patient care. Assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates care based on age specific components. Assumes responsibility for the coordination of care focused on patient education, self-management, and customer satisfaction throughout the continuum of care. Follows procedures per established policies and guidelines.
Duties
The Nurse Cancer Care Navigator Registered Nurse (RN) executes position responsibilities that demonstrate expert leadership, experience, and creative approaches in providing complex patient management. Provides patient management, care coordination, and disposition planning for cancer patients. The Cancer Care Navigator assists Veterans, family members, and caregivers with receiving the most appropriate options and services to meet their complex health care needs. Coordinates care with multiple providers across all levels and sites of care. Coordination also includes assuring services interface within the Veterans Affairs (VA) and community programs to provide continuity of care to patients. Provides oversight of the patient's journey through the diagnostic and treatment continuum, ensuring that all steps in the process are scheduled, timely and completed, while tracking the overall treatment plan. They will follow select patients from the earliest suspicion of cancer through the continuum of cancer care including diagnosis, treatment, survivorship/surveillance, or palliation/end of life. The Cancer Care Navigator will interface with outside referral agencies, and ensure that their business and clinical practices are in compliance with regulatory standards. Anticipates and implements preventive patient care measures. Possesses the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to their age-specific needs, providing care as considered necessary. Provides guidance and education to patients and caregivers and collaborates with other professionals at all levels. Addresses psychosocial, as well as nursing and medical needs of patients and their families/caregivers, through participation with the interdisciplinary care team. Ensures the plan of care and educational requirements are individualized and tailored specifically to support each individual patient's needs. Reports status of service needs and contributes to problem resolution and modification of processes as necessary. Evaluates care and outcomes to ensure timely and appropriate provision of services. Advocates for holistic care through patient/family education and provider interaction and implements an educational plan to meet the patient care needs. The Cancer Care Navigator collaborates in the development, implementation, evaluation, and revision of policies, procedures, and/or guidelines. Demonstrates performance and leadership that is broad enough to improve the care for a group of patients. Provides peers with formal or informal constructive feedback for improvement. Supports colleagues and other nurses through knowledge sharing to provide safe, quality nursing care. Fosters a safe and supportive environment conducive to the professional development of health care professionals. Evaluates outcomes of evidence-based decisions and practice changes for individuals, groups, and populations. Responsible for the documenting broad and complex outcomes at the program or service level, that can be demonstrated at any organizational level within a facility. Maintains and demonstrates competencies and necessary certifications in both oncology and infusion clinic to ensure safe, evidence-based patient care, operational flexibility and continuity of services. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory Work Schedule: 7:30am-4:00pm, Monday - Friday, subject to changed based on needs of the service. Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Requirements
U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
How you will be evaluated
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. NOTE: Candidate's education, scope, and length of nursing practice (experience) will be considered in determining the grade and salary of the applicant selected. The recommended salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy. Experience as an RN will be evaluated to determine if the experience is of an acceptable level of quality with regard to the following five dimensions of nursing: Practice, Veteran/Patient Driven Care, Leadership, Professional Development, and Evidence/Based Practice/Research. Each dimension of practice has criteria that demonstrate essential core competencies for VHA Nursing Personnel. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.