Lead Oncology Program AND Nurse Navigator

• CRHC is looking for a Lead Oncology Program and Nurse Navigator to work in our Infusion Department. ADVANCING EXCEPTIONAL CARE At Clarinda Regional Health (CRHC), every employee has the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our patients, families, coworkers, and communities. Purpose: Advancing Exceptional Care Mission: To provide safe, compassionate, high-quality healthcare that improves the lives of those we serve. Vision: To set the standard for rural healthcare excellence through Safety & Quality, Perception (Trust), People, Stewardship, and Growth. OUR STRATEGIC PATH The Strategic Path is CRHC's decision-making framework. Priorities are considered in the following order: Safety & Quality, Perception (Trust), People, Stewardship, and Growth. Growth is essential, but it must never come at the expense of safety, trust, people, or stewardship.
• Safety & Quality - Deliver safe, evidence-based oncology and infusion care through reliable treatment verification, medication safety, infection prevention, competency, timely escalation, and continuous improvement.
• Perception (Trust) - Strengthen patient, family, provider, partner, and community confidence through communication, advocacy, coordination, transparency, and dependable follow-through.
• People - Develop a highly competent, collaborative oncology team and support patients, caregivers, providers, and coworkers through education, teamwork, accountability, and compassion.
• Stewardship - Use medications, staffing, supplies, equipment, grant resources, community resources, and organizational assets responsibly while reducing unnecessary duplication and avoidable travel.
• Growth - Expand appropriate local oncology services, navigation, partnerships, access, and rural cancer-care capabilities in a safe and sustainable manner. OUR CARE VALUES
• Compassion - Demonstrate empathy, understanding, kindness, responsiveness, and respect toward every individual we serve.
• Advancing - Pursue excellence through evidence-based practice, innovation, continuous learning, accountability, and purposeful improvement.
• Relationships - Build trust through communication, collaboration, advocacy, teamwork, and dependable service.
• Exceptional - Hold ourselves to the highest standards of safety, quality, professionalism, integrity, outcomes, and patient-centered service.

The Oncology Program Lead & Nurse Navigator is a registered nurse responsible for clinical, operational, and program leadership of CRHC's Infusion and Oncology services while serving as a consistent point of contact for patients and families throughout the cancer-care continuum. The position provides patient navigation, education, care coordination, advocacy, symptom support, infusion nursing, program development, quality improvement, staff development, and operational oversight from diagnosis through treatment, surveillance, survivorship, palliative care, and transition of care.

The position leads development and growth of CRHC's oncology program, including implementation of the Combat Cancer Health Hub-and-Spoke Program, standardized navigation and referral workflows, grant objectives, performance measurement, and collaborative relationships with oncology providers, Hub and Spoke partners, tertiary cancer centers, and community resources. The Oncology Program Lead & Nurse Navigator practices within applicable RN scope, CRHC policy, approved protocols, demonstrated competency, provider orders, and applicable regulatory and accreditation requirements.

This

• does not independently authorize practice beyond those limits. How this position supports our strategic path
• Safety & Quality: Promotes reliable treatment verification, safe medication administration, infection prevention, hazardous-drug safety, competency, timely escalation, and measurable improvement.
• Perception (Trust): Provides patients and families with a consistent, knowledgeable point of contact and strengthens coordination among CRHC, oncology providers, tertiary centers, and community partners.
• People: Develops staff competency, supports teamwork and communication, and provides education and advocacy for patients, caregivers, employees, and providers.
• Stewardship: Coordinates care efficiently, reduces avoidable delays and duplication, uses high-cost medications and supplies responsibly, and supports grant and program accountability.
• Growth: Builds sustainable local oncology services, navigation pathways, collaborative care models, referral relationships, and rural cancer-care capacity. WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE AT CRHC
• Patients and families experience coordinated, compassionate oncology care with a clear point of contact throughout the cancer-care continuum.
• Patients receive appropriate cancer services locally whenever clinically appropriate, reducing unnecessary travel and disruption.
• Treatment orders, laboratory results, allergies, dosing, sequencing, supportive medications, and required safety checks are verified consistently before therapy.
• Infusion reactions, toxicities, changes in condition, and medical emergencies are recognized and escalated promptly according to policy and approved protocols.
• Navigation barriers such as transportation, finances, insurance, medication access, food insecurity, caregiving, health literacy, and communication needs are identified and addressed.
• Oncology and infusion staff maintain required education, competency, and certification for assigned responsibilities.
• Program quality, access, volumes, referrals, navigation activity, outcomes, grant measures, and improvement opportunities are routinely monitored.
• Hub-and-Spoke partners, tertiary cancer centers, CRHC departments, and community resources experience reliable communication and coordination.
• CRHC's oncology program grows safely, sustainably, and in alignment with the Strategic Path. QUALIFICATIONS Education and Experience
• Graduate of an approved school or college of nursing required.
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) preferred; equivalent education and relevant experience may be considered as appropriate.
• Oncology, infusion, care coordination, nurse navigation, leadership, or program-development experience preferred.
• Experience with quality improvement, program implementation, multidisciplinary care coordination, and data or grant reporting preferred. Licensure, Certifications & Competency
• Current, active Registered Nurse license in the State of Iowa or valid multistate privilege recognized in Iowa, maintained in good standing.
• Obtain ONS/ONCC Chemotherapy Immunotherapy Certificate within six (6) months of employment or assignment to independent chemotherapy/immunotherapy responsibilities, as established by CRHC.
• Obtain Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN®) certification within six (6) months after meeting ONCC eligibility requirements for examination, as established by CRHC.
• Maintain life-support and other job-specific certifications identified in CRHC's approved Clinical Certification & Life-Support Requirements by Role matrix.
• Complete orientation, education, competency validation, hazardous-drug education, infection-prevention education, medication-safety education, and other training required for assigned responsibilities before independent performance when applicable. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
• Knowledge of oncology and infusion nursing principles, patient navigation, symptom management, treatment toxicities, vascular access, medication safety, and patient education.
• Ability to lead workflows, projects, quality improvement, staff development, data collection, grant implementation, and program development.
• Ability to recognize changes in patient condition, escalate concerns, activate emergency response, and function within RN scope and demonstrated competency.
• Strong communication, collaboration, critical-thinking, organizational, documentation, confidentiality, and patient-advocacy skills.
• Ability to use the electronic health record, quality/data systems, and other technology required for the role.