General Summary

This role is considered the minimum role for all nurses at UMMC who have greater than 12 months experience. This nurse will be competent in the skills/knowledge required and fully participate in nursing governance. He/she will practice and adhere to the guidelines specified in the UMMC Professional Nurse Job Charter. Under general supervision and with attending physician input, the incumbent is responsible for coordinating, managing and communicating the plan of treatment to patients and their families. Specifically, the incumbent assists in communications with patients; triages patients and patient issues, performs symptom management, and teaches patients regarding their disease process and treatment. In addition, the nurse coordinator collaborates with the multi-disciplinary team and utilizes clinical outcomes data to support innovative and cost-effective changes to clinical practice. Is accountable to patients and families for the processes and outcomes of care during an episode of care. Is accountable to peers for the advancement of group practice on the practice setting, and to the nurse manager for the totality of work performance. This nurse will be competent in the skills/knowledge required and fully participate in practice setting governance. He/she will practice and adhere to the guidelines specified in the UMMC Professional Nurse Job Charter. These functions are performed in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations and UMMS philosophy, policies, procedures and standards.

Principal Responsibilities and Tasks

The following statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by personnel so classified.

Clinical Practice/Care Delivery

• Competent in care of practice setting specific patient population; independently practices with solid knowledge and clinical skills; engaged in advancing own practice
• Collaborates with interdisciplinary team to plan and coordinate care addressing patient/family needs
• Provides direct and indirect care in area of specialization to patients and families, and objectively and systematically evaluates the quality and appropriateness of care delivery.
• Serves a clinical resource to others
• Serves as an effective Primary Coordinating Nurse; collaborates and coordinates with physicians and all disciplines involved in the patient's care to assure timely progress toward the best clinical outcome in the most cost-effective manner.
• Provides symptom management strategies to a defined patient population in collaboration with physician.
• Utilizes and integrates evidence into practice
• Triages patient telephone
• Provides extensive patient education regarding disease process, treatment plan, and symptom management. Expertise in specialty area enables nurse coordinator to triage and assess patients in order to provide optimum level of care. Assists patients and families through disease process and along cancer diagnosis continuum.
• Ensures development and implementation of effective discharge plans and concurrently and retrospectively reviews patients for medical appropriateness and risk management issues.
• Assists patients with authorizing and pre-certification of insurance coverage for tests as ordered as part of the treatment plan.

Practice focus Areas:

• Active participant in Clinical Practice governance activities
• Assists in team developing/evaluating RBC and suggesting methods for improvement
• Develops patient education materials and overall process for practice setting-based patient education
• Assists in the development of clinical practice protocols and standards

Unit Operations

• Serves to problem solve; focusing on operational issues that may impede patient outcomes in a timely manner.
• Participates in teambuilding efforts on the practice setting; supports and models teamwork
• Fully participates in nursing governance
• Accountable for compliance with regulatory requirements and holds others accountable
• Participates and supports the AACN guidelines for Healthy Work Environment (communication, collaboration, effective decision making, recognition, leadership, staffing)

Practice focus Areas:

• Participates in practice setting-based Reward and Recognition activities
• Leads efforts that support practice setting operations such as equipment maintenance, scheduling, etc.
• Orients nurses to governance structure and councils
• Contributes to development of ambulatory-based peer review processes; actively participates in individual peer review feedback
• Identifies areas impacting practice setting operations and assists in developing/implementing action plans
• Participates as member of a team focusing on elements within the Healthy Work Environment