Orthopedic Nurse Navigator

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Orthopedic Nurse Navigator for a 13-week travel contract assignment in Salinas, California.

This role is ideal for a Registered Nurse with recent orthopedic experience and a strong background in care coordination, patient education, program development, and multidisciplinary collaboration. The Orthopedic Nurse Navigator will help guide patients through the orthopedic care process, from initial evaluation and treatment planning through surgery, recovery, rehabilitation, and follow-up.

The successful candidate should be highly organized, clinically knowledgeable, and comfortable working with orthopedic surgeons, nursing teams, rehabilitation professionals, case management, patients, and families.

Key Responsibilities

·        Serve as a primary clinical resource and point of contact for orthopedic patients.

·        Coordinate care throughout the orthopedic treatment journey.

·        Guide patients through preoperative preparation, hospitalization, surgery, recovery, rehabilitation, and follow-up care.

·        Educate patients and families regarding treatment plans, procedures, recovery expectations, medications, and discharge instructions.

·        Coordinate appointments, referrals, testing, consultations, and follow-up services.

·        Identify potential barriers to care and help connect patients with appropriate clinical and support resources.

·        Collaborate with orthopedic surgeons, physicians, nurses, rehabilitation teams, case managers, and other healthcare professionals.

·        Support continuity of care across inpatient, outpatient, rehabilitation, and post-discharge settings.

·        Assist with orthopedic program development, implementation, and ongoing improvement.

·        Help maintain standardized orthopedic care pathways and evidence-based clinical processes.

·        Participate in quality-improvement and performance-monitoring initiatives.

·        Track patient progress, outcomes, and follow-up requirements.

·        Support compliance with hospital policies and applicable regulatory standards.

·        Maintain accurate and timely patient documentation.

·        Participate in interdisciplinary meetings and care-planning discussions.

·        Communicate patient needs and clinical concerns promptly to the appropriate members of the care team.

Required Qualifications

Candidates should have:

·        Active Registered Nurse license in the State of California

·        Recent clinical experience in orthopedics

·        Minimum 4 years of clinical nursing experience

·        Current BLS / Healthcare Provider certification, consistent with American Heart Association standards

·        Strong knowledge of orthopedic patient-care pathways

·        Experience coordinating care across multiple clinical disciplines

·        Strong written and verbal communication skills

·        Excellent organization, coordination, and problem-solving abilities

·        Ability to work effectively with physicians, patients, families, clinical staff, and community resources

Education

·        Nursing degree from an accredited nursing program

·        Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) preferred

·        Candidates with an Associate Degree in Nursing may be considered based on experience, licensure, and overall qualifications

Specialty Certification

Preferred or highly valued credentials include:

·        Orthopedic Nurse Certification through the Orthopaedic Nurses Certification Board or another relevant orthopedic specialty credential

·        Clinical Nurse Specialist certification

·        Nurse Practitioner certification

Preferred Experience

Strong candidates may also have:

·        Previous experience as a Nurse Navigator or Care Coordinator

·        Orthopedic surgery or joint replacement program experience

·        Previous program development and implementation experience

·        Experience working within an acute-care hospital

·        Experience with total joint replacement programs

·        Experience coordinating rehabilitation and post-acute care

·        Experience with quality-improvement initiatives

·        Familiarity with accreditation and disease-specific certification programs

Regulatory & Quality Knowledge

Candidates should have working knowledge of:

·        The Joint Commission (TJC) Disease-Specific Certification requirements

·        Healthcare regulatory requirements

·        Patient safety standards

·        Quality-improvement processes

·        Clinical documentation requirements

·        Performance monitoring

·        Evidence-based orthopedic care pathways

·        Program compliance and continuous improvement

Key Skills

Successful candidates should be comfortable with:

·        Orthopedic nursing

·        Nurse navigation

·        Care coordination

·        Patient education

·        Surgical care pathways

·        Preoperative coordination

·        Postoperative follow-up

·        Rehabilitation coordination

·        Discharge planning

·        Interdisciplinary collaboration

·        Program development

·        Quality improvement

·        Regulatory compliance

·        Patient tracking and follow-up

·        Clinical documentation

·        Problem solving

·        Managing multiple priorities

Schedule Requirements

·        Flexible schedule

·        8-hour shifts

·        40 hours per week

·        Specific shift times may vary based on department and patient-care needs.

Candidates should be comfortable with some schedule flexibility during the assignment.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is an experienced orthopedic RN who enjoys helping patients navigate complex treatment plans and coordinating care across multiple departments.

You should be comfortable working independently while maintaining strong communication with orthopedic surgeons, physicians, nurses, rehabilitation teams, case managers, and other healthcare professionals.

This position may be a strong fit for professionals currently working as an:

·        Orthopedic Nurse Navigator

·        Orthopedic RN

·        Nurse Navigator

·        Joint Replacement Nurse Navigator

·        Orthopedic Care Coordinator

·        Clinical Nurse Navigator

·        Orthopedic Program Coordinator

·        Total Joint Coordinator

Equal Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer and consider qualified applicants based on education, experience, licensure, certifications, clinical skills, and the requirements of the position.