RN, Patient Navigator (Healthcare)

The RN Navigator is a licensed clinician who supports patients throughout their care experience by providing education, coordinating services, and addressing barriers to care. Working across multiple specialties and modalities, the RN Navigator helps ensure timely access to treatment and support resources. This role promotes continuity, communication, and a smoother patient journey by collaborating closely with patients, families, and care teams.

JOB SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITES:

Utilizes best practices to improve patient access to timely and appropriate care, in alignment with evidence-based guidelines and within the RN scope of practice.
Provides patient-centered navigation, education, and care coordination throughout the patient's care experience, including screening, diagnosis, active treatment, follow-up, and end-of-life care when applicable.
Identifies potential and actual barriers to care (e.g., financial, practical, psychosocial) and addresses them in collaboration with patients and care teams.
Partners with patients and families to assess needs and connect them with appropriate resources, programs, and support systems.
Assists patients in navigating healthcare systems through advocacy, education, and care coordination, while continuously evaluating and addressing emerging barriers or concerns.
Maintains clear and timely documentation of patient interactions, assessments, and navigation activities in the electronic medical record.
Communicates regularly with multidisciplinary care teams to ensure continuity, clarity, and alignment of care across specialties and services.
Participates in quality improvement initiatives and data collection related to navigation services, patient outcomes, or process enhancement.
Supports outreach efforts and organizational programs such as education events, screenings, or other initiatives that enhance access to care.
Adheres to all professional, legal, and ethical standards of nursing practice, including compliance with organizational policies and patient privacy regulations.
Performs other duties as assigned

OTHER JOB REQUIREMENTS: This position requires early mornings, some weekends and a rotating holiday schedule. Occasional travel throughout Central Arkansas is also required.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: N/A

EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION, LICENSURE, REGISTRATION:

Graduate from an accredited school of nursing. Associate's degree or equivalent from two-year college program or technical school or nursing diploma.

Bachelor's degree, preferred

Current registered nurse licensure in Arkansas
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
Valid Arkansas Driver's License (if travel is required)
Breast Health Clinical Navigator (BHCN) thru NCBC Breast Navigation program preferred
Additional certifications relevant to assigned specialty areas may be required or strongly preferred

EXPERIENCE, SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE:

2-5 years' clinical experience in direct patient care, preferred.
Maintain required number of continuing education units (CEU's) as specified by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing
Excellent computer and other basic office equipment skills
Expertise in IV therapy skills and injections

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, or schedule form.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:

Must interact and communicate both verbally and in written form.
Must interact and exchange information regarding patients with physicians and other departmental personnel, and outside agencies on a frequent basis while respecting the confidentiality of patient information.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.
The employee regularly is required to stand, walk, sit, use hand to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms.
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. This position involves potential exposure to infectious diseases. Colleagues are offered appropriate vaccinations and safety training.

COMMENTS:
This description is intended to describe the essential job functions, the general supplemental functions and the essential requirements for the performance of the job. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and requirements of a person so classified. Other functions may be assigned and management retains the right to add or change the duties at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

This position is a Safety Sensitive Position. The essential functions, physical demands, and mental competencies of this job require the employee maintain the ability to work in a constant state of alertness in a safe manner.