Cardiac Navigator RN - Full Time, Days

At Northwestern Medicine, every patient interaction makes a difference in cultivating a positive workplace. This patient-first approach is what sets us apart as a leader in the healthcare industry. As an integral part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to join our quest for better healthcare, no matter where you work within the Northwestern Medicine system. At Northwestern Medicine, we pride ourselves on providing competitive benefits: from tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness to 401(k) matching and lifecycle benefits, we take care of our employees. Ready to join our quest for better?

The Cardiac Navigator RN  reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards.

The Cardiac Navigator is responsible for proactively managing the continuum of care for the cardiac patient population from pre-admission to discharge.  The position serves as the central liaison for patients, families, clinical providers, physicians and all other members of the care team involved in the patients’ care.  The position champions optimal clinical outcomes along with appropriate and efficient resource utilization, and ensures patients and families proceed seamlessly throughout the course of their care.

Responsibilities:

• This position assists patients having cardiovascular services by navigating care through their entire experience.
• Initiates contact with patients to engage them in their plan of care and provide continuous education based on needs. 
• Collaborates with members of the multidisciplinary cardiovascular team to optimize health care plans for individual patients through the development and use of multidisciplinary plans of care.
• Conducts regular rounds on all patients while in the hospital and continuously evaluates each patient’s care needs, discharge planning needs, education needs, and level of satisfaction.
• Coordinates timely discharge plans to meet post-hospital needs for recovery/care.
• Arranges appropriate follow up care, including scheduling post-hospital physician follow up appointments, and provides patient/family with linkage to community resources.
• Interface with other healthcare teams for appropriate referrals/services such as the social worker, dietician, financial counselor, rehabilitation, smoking cessation, etc.
• Continually assess patients’ treatment progress and educational needs, working with the care team to make adjustments to care based on the assessment; consults with primary physician or designee and other members of the care delivery team as needed.    
• Documents on all patient interactions and care planning.  Communicates with physicians to obtain orders and documentation required to initiate post-hospital care.
• Completes follow-up phone calls to patients after discharge from the hospital.
• Monitors patient satisfaction outcomes for individual stays and patient populations. Works collaboratively with patient health care team to identify opportunities for improvement and implement best practice solutions.
• Responsible to assure that metrics are in place and abstracted to show continuous improvement in the care for the cardiac patient and supports Joint Commission and any other designated regulatory or registry data collection as assigned.
• Stays up to date on industry best practices through continuing education and maintaining a network of professionals to exchange ideas and benchmark best practices. Looks for opportunities to learn new skills and new tasks.
• Routinely assists other team members as needed. Actively contributes to team goals by encouraging and helping each other perform to the best of their capabilities, developing and reaching goals together, recognizing the contribution of others and promoting positive working relationships.
• Proficient in computer applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), other office technology and EMR
• Have the ability to function independently, adapt to workload demands, set priorities and understand and set goals
• Ensure that processes and protocols are in place to assure smooth operations and patient flow
• Collaborate with the clinic manager and/or Director of Cardiology to ensure completion of all program documentation for compliance with regulatory standards
• Identify and implement practices and protocols based on evidence based data and research to improve quality and cost effective patient outcomes
• Participate in development of education materials and patient education
• Evaluate the effectiveness of care delivery and provide feedback
• Participate in CEU programs, conferences, seminars and workshops
• Identify program education/training needs and assist with curriculum development and organization of in-service programs
• Contribute and provide insight in the development of program goals.
• Have the ability to cope with high stress levels associated with ongoing and changing needs of patients and care planning developed by provides and the overall demands of maintaining effective working relationships with peers, physicians and other healthcare workers
• Assessment and decision making skill in the management of acute and chronically ill patients
• Possess superior customer service skills and professional etiquette
• This position performs other duties as assigned.

Required:

• BSN – or completion within 2 years
• Registered Nurse/Illinois Licensure
• CPR certification
• 2-3 years clinical nursing experience
• Physical ability to perform functional requirements as detailed
• 3-5 years’ experience with coordination of care activities
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary team
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

Preferred:

• 2 to 5 years position related experience
• ACM or CCM  certification
• Knowledge of insurance guidelines, CMS requirements, and other payor requirements

Northwestern Medicine is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status.

If we offer you a job, we will perform a background check that includes a review of any criminal convictions. A conviction does not disqualify you from employment at Northwestern Medicine. We consider this on a case-by-case basis and follow all state and federal guidelines.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Please visit our Benefits section to learn more.