Oncology Nurse Navigator - UNC Health Cancer Care Central Navigation Program

Description

Make a Difference Every Day
At UNC Health Cancer Care, our Oncology Nurse Navigators help patients and families navigate the challenges of a cancer diagnosis. This role offers the opportunity to directly improve cancer care outcomes, reduce barriers, and provide compassionate support during one of the most difficult times in a patient's life.

Position Summary
The Oncology Nurse Navigator (ONN) is a critical member of UNC Health's Central Navigation Program, collaborating with Oncology Patient Navigators (OPNs), Oncology Volunteer Navigators (OVNs), and multidisciplinary clinical teams. The ONN applies advanced nursing expertise to guide patients and caregivers, provide education and advocacy, and promote equitable access to timely treatment and supportive services.

Key Clinical Responsibilities

• Screen all new oncology patients to determine malignancy, disease status, and eligibility for navigation services.
• Provide direct clinical support through in-person and virtual visits, outreach calls, and follow-up assessments.
• Oversee and guide daily patient assignments, interventions, documentation, and data collection by OPNs.
• Serve as the primary clinical escalation point for OPNs and OVNs when urgent or routine concerns arise.
• Support the UNC ePRO (electronic patient-reported outcomes) program, educating patients and proactively addressing treatment toxicities and side effects.
• Conduct follow-up clinical assessments to evaluate and respond to patient needs.
• Act as a nurse liaison with Clinical Nurse Navigators and Oncology Triage Nurses, ensuring timely escalation and continuity of care.
• Verify and facilitate referrals to supportive oncology programs, including psycho-oncology, counseling, palliative care, rehabilitation, integrative oncology, and tobacco cessation.
• Partner with research coordinators and providers to support early referral to therapeutic and interventional clinical trials.
• Mentor, educate, and provide ongoing clinical guidance to OPNs and OVNs, including onboarding, continuing education, and development of evidence-based disease education resources.

Become part of an inclusive organization with over 40,000 teammates, whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of the unique communities we serve.

Summary:
Each patient has an assigned nurse navigator to oversee their diagnosis and treatment, help them get their needs met, and serve as their personal resource. The specific purpose of the nurse navigator is 1) to expedite and facilitate access to initial and ongoing care in our system, 2) to personalize the care our patients receive, 3) to provide a single gateway for our patients to minimize confusion over communication and 4) to provide a consistent contact for our patients from diagnosis to survivorship. The nurse navigator is patient-oriented, not physician or division specific, and will facilitate care of the patient and family across the many disciplines and professionals required for their care. The nurse navigator acts as the liaison for the patient and family addressing their concerns and questions, and works with program assistants to arrange their various appointments with their providers.

Responsibilities:
1. Communication - Nurse Navigators will ensure that there is continuity of communication between a patient's various care providers (both within and outside the UNCHCS community)
2. Nurse Navigator Continuing Education
3. Patient Care Duties Interviews patients regarding their current health practices, identifies health problems, determines the degree of compliance and problems complying with the prescribed treatment plan, and documents this information in the patient's chart. Analyzes data from patient interviews, chart reviews, and physical assessments to determine patient's nursing care needs including direct care, referral to other departments. Additional duties related to coordinating patient care specifically for the cancer patient. Coordinates scheduling of tests labs, x-rays coordinates consults. Interacts with referring physician's offices for new and ongoing patient care issues.
4. Programmatic Leadership

Other information:
Education Requirements:
* Bachelor's degree in Nursing (BSN) from a state-accredited school of professional nursing.
* In lieu of bachelor's degree, candidate may possess ADN but will be required to enroll in a BSN program within 4 years, and obtained BSN within 7 years.
Licensure/Certification Requirements:
* Licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse in the state of North Carolina.
* OCN (Oncology Certified Nurse) or ONN (Oncology Nurse Navigator) Certification required or must be obtained with 3 years of hire date. Until certification requirements are met, candidate must complete required hours of oncology related annual training as specified by accreditation standards.
* Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Provider certification
Professional Experience Requirements:
* Two (2) years of nursing experience and one (1) year related experience.
Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements:

Legal Employer: STATE

Entity: UNC Medical Center

Organization Unit: UNCH Oncology Pt & Fam Rsc Ctr

Work Type: Full Time

Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00

Salary Range:$35.52 - $51.05 per hour (Hiring Range)

Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity

Work Assignment Type: Hybrid

Work Schedule: Day Job

Location of Job: US:NC:Chapel Hill

Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: Yes

This is a State position employed by UNC Health Care System with UNC Health benefits. If, however, you are presently an employee of another North Carolina agency and currently participate in TSERS or the ORP, you will be eligible to continue participating in those plans at UNC Health.

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email applicant.accommodations@unchealth.unc.edu if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.