Nurse Navigator - Endocrinology, Highlands Ranch (0.5 FTE)

0.5 FTE onsite position located in Highlands Ranch, CO.

About the Role

The Nurse Navigator (NN) will be a member of the care team focused on providing personalized one-on-one patient care. The NN assesses and evaluates patient conditions, then plans, implements, provides, and documents patient care following professional nursing standards and outlined practices. The NN assists in expediting the evaluation of clinic patients through a multidisciplinary team approach, coordination of services, and scheduling exams to optimize patient care outcomes. Responsibilities include helping patients navigate clinic visits, follow-up testing, diagnostics, labs, and other services; coordinating care to reduce gaps in understanding; counseling and educating patients and families; and ensuring high-quality patient outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Patient Care (50%)
  • Facilitates patient intake by phone, email, or online through Epic MHC.
  • Provides high-touch and high-quality personalized patient navigation.
  • Works closely with patients and families throughout the full continuum of care.
  • Triages, coordinates care, and orders appropriate patient testing under University of Colorado School of Medicine protocols, with a focus on managing needs within and outside the organization to prevent unnecessary ER visits, hospital admissions, and/or readmissions.
  • Acts as liaison between patient and clinical staff, administration, physicians, managed care companies, and community/external resources to address health needs by assessing clinical, emotional, spiritual, psychosocial, and financial barriers to care. Works with the care team to create plans to overcome these barriers.
  • Demonstrates effective communication with patients, families, peers, multidisciplinary healthcare teams, and community organizations.
  • Collaborates directly with primary physicians and care teams to educate and reinforce disease processes, treatments, and recommendations.
  • Facilitates resolution to patient care gaps and follows up proactively with patients and families.
  • Prevents duplicative, fragmented, or unnecessary use of resources and services.
  • Follows up on patient progress, including subsequent testing, ED visits, and hospitalizations, ensuring post-acute plans when needed.
  • Monitors and reports on outcome measures.
  • Participates in clinical operations, including rooming patients, taking vitals, and supporting patient needs as assigned.
  • Assists physicians and providers with procedures as necessary.
  • Reports all test results to patients as directed by the physician.
• Clinic Operations (25%)
  • Participates in quality workgroups to develop patient education materials, clinical pathways, and workflows.
  • Manages routine correspondence and medical records for referring agencies and providers.
  • Facilitates prompt service to accommodate referring agencies and providers.
  • Maintains clean and stocked patient examination rooms, prepares instruments, and keeps a list of needed medical supplies.
  • Cleans and sterilizes equipment; checks and restocks medication cabinets.
  • Functions as a patient advocate and initial contact for patient-related issues.
  • Demonstrates responsibility for professional practice, continued education, and self-evaluation.
  • Performs basic and routine delegated medical functions within scope of practice.
• Procedural Nurse (25%)
  • Plans, implements, and evaluates patient care plans based on assessments to optimize outcomes.
  • Monitors, records, and communicates patient conditions across disciplines.
  • Evaluates learning needs of patients and families and provides appropriate education.
  • Effectively delegates patient care to ancillary personnel and may precept student nurses and new hires.
  • Performs circulating functions before, during, and after procedures, including preparing the environment, monitoring the sterile field, and documenting interventions.
  • Performs scrub functions as needed, including handling instruments and supplies, and performing equipment counts.
  • Provides nursing care to a complex, moderate acuity procedural patient population.
  • Ensures compliance with regulatory agencies (CDPHE, CMS, OSHA) and infection control standards.
  • Participates in quality improvement initiatives and performance improvement activities.
  • Meets service expectations of internal and external customers.
  • Recognizes and responds appropriately to urgent/emergent situations according to protocols.

Requirements

• Graduate of an accredited Nursing program through ACEN or ANCC.
• Bachelor’s degree in Nursing.
• Three (3) years of registered nurse experience in a clinical or hospital setting.
• Registered Nurse (RN) licensure in the State of Colorado.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification (American Heart Association or American Red Cross).
• Legally authorized to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship.
• Complies with mandatory education and training requirements.
• Must be able to travel to alternate locations as assigned.

Preferred Qualifications

• Three or more years of registered nurse experience in a clinical or hospital setting.
• Two or more years of experience in nurse navigation in a specialty area.
• Bilingual (Spanish-speaking).
• Nursing certification (ANCC) in specialty area.
• Experience with Epic, Kronos, and Healthstream.

Skills

• Effective communication, both written and verbal, at all levels.
• Strong knowledge of CPT & ICD-10 procedure coding.
• Strong knowledge of value-based care and risk-based coding procedures in Primary Care.

Benefits

• Medical: Multiple plan options.
• Dental: Multiple plan options.
• Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision.
• Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10% of gross pay.
• Paid Time Off:
  • Vacation Days: 22/year (maximum accrual 352 hours).
  • Sick Days: 15/year (unlimited maximum accrual).
  • Holiday Days: 15/year.
• Tuition Benefit: Accessible on all CU campuses.
• ECO Pass: Reduced rate RTD Bus and light rail service.

Pay

The starting salary range for this 0.5 FTE position is $41,897 to $50,276. This position may be eligible for overtime compensation.