Clinical Nurse Coordinator - Inpatient Hematology Oncology

Overview

Inpatient Clinical Nurse Coordinator

Job Summary

Clinical Nurse Coordinator

Activities Within CNC Scope

• Screens and tracks high-complexity oncology inpatients using the EMR. Use available tools update hematology/oncology patient lists.
• Coordinates care for new inpatient cancer diagnoses
• Facilitates complex oncology diagnostics, including molecular and genomic testing (e.g., NGS, FISH, cytogenetics, MRD/ctDNA)
• Coordinates pathology and tissue procurement, including retrieval of specimens from outside institutions and internal/external send-outs
• Facilitates planned inpatient oncology admissions, including scheduled inpatient chemotherapy and admissions coordinated with outpatient oncology teams
• Supports oncology-specific transitions of care, including appropriate oncology follow-up after discharge and time-sensitive clinic or infusion appointments
• Serves as a care coordination link between inpatient oncology teams, outpatient oncology clinics, pathology, molecular diagnostics, pharmacy, and related services
• Identifies and escalates system-level barriers impacting oncology care coordination

Activities Outside CNC Scope

• Daily review or monitoring of laboratory results (CBC, CMP, coagulation studies, etc.)
• Ensuring routine labs or diagnostic tests are ordered
• Tracking laboratory trends or blood counts
• Bedside nursing care or patient assessments
• Symptom monitoring, management or clinical decision-making
• Entering, managing, or verifying medical orders
• General inpatient oncology patient oversight
• Routine discharge tasks not specific to oncology coordination
• Acting as a substitute or extender for primary bedside nursing, physicians, advanced practice providers, case management, or social work
• Liaise with inpatient Hematology Oncology rounding attending:
• Maintain the ‘active inpatient list’ of patients in consultation with the rounding oncologist. Make sure that all the new consults and existing patients are on the list. Remove the patients if officially signed off and safe discharge planning has been executed.
• Participate in daily AM meeting with the rounding oncologist. Plan the day. Try to achieve best possible awareness of the plan of care for the patient. Discuss any urgent issues and provide the timely care coordination support if needed.
• Coordinate with inpatient team to make sure that all the recommended tests, scans, procedures are ordered and completed. Follow if any of the pertinent pathology report becomes available and communicate with the rounding attending.
• Join the inpatient rounds with rounding oncologist. Try to achieve the best possible knowledge of the plan of care and general situational awareness.
• If a formal family meeting/goals of care discussion is decided then work closely with inpatient team including the physician, RN, social worker, case manager to support this process.
• If case the patient is being discharged or formally signing off then communicate with inpatient team and write a sign off, post discharge plan for the patient. If chemotherapy/other oncology treatments were started as inpatient, then communicate with the outpatient RN and infusion team about the next dose and cycle of treatment.
• Arrange for post discharge follow up if needed with the primary oncologist. Communicate the discharge plan with primary oncologist and clinic RN and infusion team.
• In case inpatient chemotherapy is planned then support in printing of proper paperwork during the rounding, move the patient to 11th floor if practical and communicate with the inpatient team.
• Resource for patients and families:
• Be available to the patient and families for any specific oncology/hematology related plan of care questions outside of the daily rounding.
• Make sure safe discharge plan is in place, documented and communicated.
• Identify the need of nutritional support, pain management concerns, social aspects and discuss with the rounding oncologist.
• Coordinate with inpatient team to move the patients to 11th floor if patient has an established cancer/hematology diagnosis, is on active chemotherapy at cancer center or outside facility. This has to be discussed with the rounding oncologist.
• Coordination with inpatient services (hospitalist, Inpatient RNs, ICU team, other services):
• Participate in daily huddle with the hospitalist team on 11th floor.
• Communicate with the inpatient team if any significant change in plan or treatment decision.
• Communicate with the inpatient team about the discharge plan or if formally signifying off.
• Must have very good situational understanding and awareness of plan of care for the patients.
• Coordination with oncology clinics and infusion center:
• For planned direct admissions coordinate and communicate with clinic RN and treating oncologist and rounding oncologist and add the patient to “the active patient list’.
• For planned chemotherapy admissions, communicate with the treating oncologist and clinic RN and communicate inpatient team. Chemotherapy orders and consent has to be completed by the treating/primary oncologist.
• Discharge planning and communication with primary oncologist/hematologist:
• Close communication loop with the outpatient team to assist in safe discharge and follow up with cancer center.

Experience Requirements

• Minimum of two (2) years post-graduate experience in an acute care setting is required
• Minimum of five (5) years of clinical nursing experience.
• Minimum of three (3) years in Oncology specialty experience.
• Ability to speak and write in English is required
• Ability to speak and write in both English and Arabic is preferred

Education Requirements

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in nursing
• Master’s Degree in Nursing is preferred
• Post graduate/Certification in relevant nursing specialty is preferred

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