RN, Urology Oncology Nurse Navigator

Department Overview:

The Department of Urology at OHSU is committed to providing the highest quality, state-of-the-art care for adult urology patients. Our physicians are recognized leaders in their fields, have advanced fellowship training in urological subspecialties, and are expert, high-volume surgeons. We consider it a privilege to be able to offer urologic care to our patients and continually strive to provide it with a personalized, patient-centered and compassionate focus. This position is in the Adult Urology clinic at Adventist Health Portland. The clinic comprises ten physicians, one nurse practitioner and four physician assistants who treat the spectrum of urologic conditions. Other support staff include patient access specialists and MAs.

 

The practice specializes in providing urologic care for adults.  Services include catheterizations, specimen collections, prostate/testicular biopsies, cystoscopies, cystograms, lupograms, retro urethrograms, calypso beacon, gold seed placements, urodynamics, vasectomies, stent exchanges/removals/placements, voiding trials, medication administration (BCG, Lupron, Trimix, Xiaflex, testosterone pellets, Botox), Foley placement, catheter irrigations, and dilations.

 

A Registered Nurse (RN) working in the Department of Urology is a member of a multi-disciplinary team and has the primary responsibility for and provides direct and indirect professional nursing care for patients. This includes representing the practice both in-person and on the telephone, other OHSU departments, and non-OHSU facilities. The RN assesses patient and family needs, develops a plan of care, implements and evaluates the care delivered. The Registered Nurse is expected to practice in accordance with professional standards, core values, and with a commitment to service excellence.

 

 

Function/Duties of Position:

Department Specific Working Conditions:

 

This position requires some onsite presence with occasional travel to the clinic at Adventist Health Portland 

 

Independent nursing practice 

1. Direct and indirect patient care
2. Apply critical thinking skills and ability to independently, within your scope, perform initial assessment and interpretation of cardiac rhythms, manage patient assessment and planning, My Chart messages, phone callsand routed EPIC encounters 
3. Assess statusof patient both in person and virtually, troubleshooting issues as they arise, coordinating with care team as required.  
4. Nurse visits with and without a provider for case management, triageand patient education 
5. Return calls to patients about lab/test results, check on blood pressure logs, wound care, answer medicationand device questions 
6. Assess the physical, emotional, socialand educational needs of patients who are calling or coming into the urology clinic in a comprehensive and systematic manner, including patient history 

Care Management and Navigation  

1. Serve as the primary care manager and navigator for patients receiving intravesical bladder cancer treatments (BCG, mGem/DOCE, and related regimens) 
2. Ensure patients are scheduled appropriately for treatments in alignment with provider orders and clinical protocols 
3. Verify that the infusion/treatment plan is signed and current prior to treatment initiation 
4. Assist Patient Access Services (PAS) with scheduling questions and concerns specific to intravesical treatments
5. Make sure that post-treatment surveillance visits are booked at the start of intravesical therapy

Patient Assessment and Readiness  

1. Assess patient readiness prior to each treatment visit, including clinical status, tolerance of prior treatments, and psychosocial factors 
2. Conduct pre-treatment patient education including treatment rationale, expected side effects, medication instructions, and follow-up expectations 
3. Identifyand troubleshoot treatment barriers on an individualized basis  
4. Screen patients to determinestay in clinic vs discharge post instillation categorization, identifying needs in the following domains:  

• Medical social work referral needs 
• Mobility and transportation accommodations 
• Schedule accommodation and patient preference considerations 
• Financial, language, or literacy barriers

Coordination of Pre-Treatment Medications  

1. Coordinate pre-treatment medication requirements in accordance withprovider orders and institutional protocols  
2. Communicate medication instructions clearly to patients and caregivers prior to scheduled treatments

Policy, Procedures, and Competency  

1. Manage, develop, maintain, and update urologic oncology nursing policies and procedures 
2. Develop, maintain, and update RN clinical competencies specific to intravesical therapy administration and nursing care 
3. Ensure nursing practice remainscurrent with evidence-based guidelines and institutional policy  
4. Attend Tumor Board meetings as clinically indicatedand when attendance adds value to patient care coordination 

Patient Resources and Support  

1. Provide patients and families with curated resources including support group information and disease-specific reference materials 
2. Connect patients with OHSU Patient and Family Services and community-based oncology support organizations as appropriate

Research Nurse Liaison  

1. Serve as the clinical nursing liaison for urology oncology research protocols and clinical trials 
2. Collaborate with the research team to support patient identification, enrollment, and protocol adherence 
3. Provide nursing education to research staff and clinical team members as required by active protocols

Research Nursing Competency and Procedures  

1. Develop, maintain, and update RN competencies specific to research nursing activities within the urology division 
2. Develop, maintain, and update RN procedures to support research protocol compliance 
3. Assist with RN clinic scheduling as it relates to research visit requirements and protocol-mandated timing

ADT and Interdepartmental Coordination  

1. Serve as the departmental liaison for interdepartmental coordination of Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) orders and fiducial placement 
2. Coordinate pre-ADT laboratory work and medication preparation in accordance withprovider orders  
3. Assistwith scheduling needs on a PRN basis for ADT and fiducial-related visits 

Procedure Support and Clinic Offload  

1. Provide procedural support that offloads RN clinic capacity, improving scheduling efficiency for the broader nursing team

Preoperative Communication  

1. Assistwith perioperative anticoagulation and other drug management under provider direction, including patient education and protocol compliance 

Urgent Care Coordination   

1. Assistwith urgent care coordination for oncology patients under provider direction and with appropriate orders 
2. Serve as a clinical resource for urgent clinical questions, triage support, and care escalation in collaboration with the care team

Postoperative Support  

1. Conduct postoperative calls as capacity permits, supporting patient recovery, answering clinical questions, and identifyingearly concerns requiring provider follow-up 

Referral Review Support  

1. In collaboration with oncology APPs, evaluate incoming patient referrals to ensure clinical appropriateness, medical necessity, and insurance compliance 
2. Consult with oncology providers and patients to make informed referral decisions with regards to appropriate clinicvenue, need for additional testing, requests for additional records, pathology and or imaging review. 

Comply with regulatory requirements and standards and OHSU policies and procedures 

Program development and implementation 

1. Engage in continuous process improvement
2. Engage in continuous quality assurance directives
3. Maintain a willingness to embrace change with a positive attitude
4. Engage in workflow and documentation optimization and standardization
5. Active participation in Morbidityand Mortality conference.  
6. Provide educational support to staff, visiting students and volunteers as
7. Actively participatein service excellence, including engaging with patients and their family to understand concerns and problem-solve resolutions 

Communication 

1. Effectively communicate toproviders, patients and other staff as needed (Epic, Outlook, telephone, in person) 
2. Be proficient in synthesizing patient information and summarize in a succinct, effectivemanner 
3. Write brief encounter summaries with the main cardiac studies' results (rather than referring provider to read a scanned document) as needed
4. Minimize the use of Outlook for patient-related communication as much as possible, andmove provider requests that come via Outlook into Epic (when patient is registered and has an active MRN). 
5. Engage in positive, supportive verbal communication with patients, families, providersand support staff 
6. Communicate appropriately and timelywith other professionals to discuss relevant aspects of patient care 

Serve as team leader for medical assistants and other unlicensed assistive personnel (e.x.- device techs)  

1. Ongoing delegation and direction as per the OHSU Scope of Practice documenton MCN 

Responsible for knowledge of what may be delegated and what may not be delegated to MAs as determined by this scope of practice document and OHSU guidelines. Responsible for assessing MAs' level of knowledge, skill and experience and addressing concerns as they arise." 

1. Guidance on appropriate tasksto delegate to the medical assistants 
2. Positive resource and role-model for MA team
3. Work with Lead MA to schedule dedicated admin time to work directly with medical assistants.

 

 

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of 3 years of nursing experience with emphasis on adult care
• BSN Graduates: Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing from a program accredited by Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA) 30 days before start date.
• ADN Graduates: Associate Degree in Nursing from an accredited program 30 days before the start date.
• Associate degree Nurses required to enroll in BSN program within 3 years of hire and complete within 5 years of hire
• Current, unencumbered Oregon State Registered Nurse License
• BLS from AHA required. New hires will be enrolled and required to complete during orientation.
• Must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without accommodation

Preferred Qualifications:

 

• Experience with telephone triage
• Experience in an ambulatory clinic setting
• National certification in a relevant nursing specialty
• Highly effective verbal and written communication skills in a variety of collaborative settings
• Demonstrated experience in patient and family education, including development of teaching materials
• Previous experience working with patients with implanted cardiac devices and other advanced cardiac therapies
• Excellent organizational skills
• Current competency with EPIC EMR

Why apply to OHSU?: We are Oregon's only public academic health center. In addition to caring for patients, we lead groundbreaking research. We also train the next generation of health care professionals. As Portland's largest employer, we give you opportunities to learn and advance in a system of hospitals and clinics across Oregon and Southwest Washington. All are welcome. OHSU welcomes people of all ages, ethnicities, genders, national origins, religions and sexual orientations. We are striving to build an anti-racist, multicultural institution and encourage people with diverse backgrounds to apply. To request reasonable accommodation, contact askhr@ohsu.edu