Registered Nurse RN Patient Education Specialist Oncology

RN Patient Education Specialist In Oncology

At Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, patients experience customized, comprehensive and compassionate cancer care. We travel through the cancer journey with patients, supporting their unique medical and personal needs every step of the way. We believe patient care is most effective when it's truly collaborative. Our evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach brings together physicians from all cancer specialties to provide highly coordinated and compassionate care.

As an RN Patient Education Specialist in Oncology, you will play a vital role in guiding patients and families through diagnostic and treatment processes by providing expert clinical education, care coordination, and support. This position combines direct patient care with strategic program development, ensuring a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to oncology services. You will design and deliver tailored educational tools, facilitate referrals and contribute to performance improvement initiatives. As a key liaison among patients, providers, and community resources, you'll help shape care strategies that empower patients and promote continuity of care.

Schedule: Monday - Friday, 40hrs wk.

POSITION SUMMARY This position assists with the management and coordination of patients receiving diagnostic and treatment services and/or developmental achievement and serves as a clinical practitioner, educator, services coordinator, consultant and change agent. Develops and implements change to support a holistic and coordinated approach to care strategy through screening, diagnostics, identifying risk factors and ensuring a smooth flow of patient information and care.

CORE FUNCTIONS

1. Ensures that the patient and family understand the diagnostic processes and/or developmentally supportive care strategy, recommended actions, identification of risk factors and are provided with appropriate information in coordination with physician and health care providers. Provides education with varied audiences and delivery methods to promote health. Designs specific patient education tools.
2. Assists the patient/family through diagnostic services, treatment and care. Coordinates disease care using an interdisciplinary holistic approach, making appropriate referrals and consultations in coordination with physicians and providers. May also coordinate payor arrangements and authorizations to maximize financial needs of both the patient and program.
3. Abstracts data, develops quality processes, targets systems for improvement and engages in disease care program development and planning. Coordinates and prioritizes multiple activities to effectively meet program needs. Participates in performance improvement plans.
4. Serves on boards and committees related to disease prevention, developmental achievement, care and diagnostics as requested or appropriate. Utilizes professional and tactful communication to promote continuity of care. Assists in the development of marketing plans in conjunction with the program to promote services to community.
5. Assists in developing a coordinated care strategy delivery system in which patients may act in their own interest, and intervenes when they can not.
6. Participates in staff development to maintain current standards of practice in specialty area.
7. May be responsible for hiring, disciplinary actions, staff training, scheduling and other supervisory duties.
8. Interacts with all levels of staff, including physicians. Externally will relate to patients, families, employees of other healthcare institutions, physician offices, referring physicians, community providers and agencies and other health care professionals.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Bachelors in Nursing required. Requires current RN licensure in the state of practice. BLS certification required. Requires at least five years of current experience in specialty area and/or disease care management experience. Requires excellent organizational skills and clinical knowledge regarding specialty care services, as well as care coordination of services, legal and financial aspects of diagnostic services and health services in specialty area. Effective communication and writing skills. Good time management, knowledge of word processing, database and presentation software applications. Effective public speaking skills. Ability to teach both clinical and non-clinical personnel regarding disease prevention, care and diagnostics services. Accurate data collection and a good understanding of process improvement.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS MSN preferred. Experience with management, quality improvement and public speaking preferred. Certification in specialty area preferred. Additional related education and/or experience preferred.