HEART FAILURE NURSE NAVIGATOR (FT DAYS)

The Heart Failure Nurse Navigator is a key member of the cardiology team, responsible for providing individualized assistance to patients, families, and caregivers to help them navigate the healthcare system effectively. Utilizing the nursing process, this role ensures that patients have timely access to quality health and psychosocial care throughout all phases of heart failure management. The Heart Failure Nurse Navigator works closely with healthcare providers, staff, and community resources to optimize patient care, reduce delays, and minimize financial burdens. This position plays a crucial role in patient education, care coordination, and improving patient outcomes.

Essential Duties

• Patient Assessment: Conduct daily reviews and assessments of all inpatient heart failure (HF) patients, including screening assessments of new HF inpatients.
• Collaboration: Work closely with Emergency Department (ED) providers, inpatient RNs, HF Nurse Practitioners (NPs), and cardiologists to coordinate care, especially for potential admissions during office hours.
• Patient Education: Provide comprehensive education to patients about heart failure, ensuring they understand their condition, treatment plan, and discharge instructions for safe transition to home care.
• Care Coordination: Facilitate communication among the interdisciplinary care team, including other continuum Navigators, to ensure timely scheduling of appointments, diagnostics, and procedures.
• Program Leadership: Serve as the facilitator for the Heart Failure program within the Heart and Vascular Institute (HVI) and lead improvement activities aimed at reducing readmissions.
• Discharge Planning: Ensure that discharge instructions are completed accurately, and complete the inpatient transition of care note at the time of discharge.
• Follow-Up Care: Make follow-up phone calls to patients post-discharge to monitor their progress and address any concerns.
• Program Coordination: Coordinate the CardioMems program with the HF NP and participate in bi-weekly meetings with the population health team.
• Certification Maintenance: Obtain and maintain Certified Heart Failure Nurse (CHFN) certification within one year of hire.
• Daily Meetings: Attend daily patient throughput meetings to facilitate timely patient care.

Non-essential Duties

• Administrative Support: Provide additional support to the cardiac care team as needed, including participation in departmental meetings and quality improvement initiatives

Preferred Experience

• Registered Nurse (RN) with experience in cardiology and heart failure is preferred.
• Ability to work autonomously and prioritize tasks efficiently, especially in a fast-paced environment.

Required Licensure/Education

• Required License: Illinois RN license.
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited nursing program
• Certification: Obtain Certified Heart Failure Nurse (CHFN) certification within one year of hire.

Preferred Education

• Master’s Degree in Nursing or related field preferred.

Employee Health Requirements

Exposure/Sensory Requirements:

Exposure to:

• Chemicals: Refer to MSDS sheets
• Video Display Terminals: Average
• Blood and Body Fluids: Average
• TB or Airborne Pathogens: Possible exposure to undiagnosed or untreated TB patients, from general contact. Patients coughing or patientswith tracheotomies.

Sensory requirements (speech, vision, smell, hearing, touch):

• Speech: Required to communicate with patient/families/staff/MD's. Needed for presentations/training, telephone communication.
• Vision: Needed to read memos and literature, patient reports and charts.
• Smell: Helpful to note presence of incontinence, vomitus, blood; electrical/fire safety.
• Hearing: Necessary to hear alarms, hear patient verbalizations, meetings, telephone communications.
• Touch: Necessary for writing, computer entry, filing.
• Activity/Lifting Requirements:
• Shift: Days

Percentage of time during the normal workday the employee is required to:

• Sit: 25%
• Twist: 2%
• Stand: 45%
• Crawl: 0%
• Walk: 45%
• Kneel: 1%
• Lift: 3%
• Drive: 0%
• Squat: 5%
• Climb: 1%
• Bend: 5%
• Reach above shoulders: 5%  

The weight required to be lifted each normal workday according to the continuum described below:

• Up to 10 lbs: Frequently
• Up to 20 lbs: Occasionally
• Up to 35 lbs: Occasionally
• Up to 50 lbs: Occasionally
• Up to 75 lbs: Not required
• Up to 100 lbs: Not required
• Over 100 lbs: Not required

Describe and explain the lifting and carrying requirements. (Example: the distance material is carried; how high material is lifted, etc.):

Carrying patient charts - no higher than shoulder level. Assisting with patient transfers from wheelchair to exam table or bed.

Maximum consecutive time (minutes) during the normal workday for each activity:

• Sit: 60
• Twist: 1
• Stand: 45
• Crawl: 0
• Walk: 5
• Kneel: 1
• Lift: 1
• Drive: 0
• Squat: 3
• Climb: 1
• Bend: 3
• Reach above shoulders: 5

Repetitive use of hands (Frequency indicated):

• Simple grasp up to 10 lbs. 
• Normal weight: 5# often
• Pushing &pulling Normal weight: >50# often
• Fine Manipulation: Keyboarding, venipunctures, filing, writing, drawing up meds in syringes and giving injections.

Environmental Factors & Special Hazards:

• Environmental Factors (Time Spent)
• Inside hours: 8-9
• Outside hours: 0 
•  Temperature: Normal 
• Range Lighting: Average
• Noise levels: Average
• Humidity: Dry
• Atmosphere: Dust
• Special Hazards: Chemical -Exposure to blood and body fluids.
• Protective Clothing Required: As required in cases of isolation, i.e. gloves, gowns, masks, goggles.