Registered Nurse - Transition Team

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is an independent, nonprofit organization providing adult cancer treatment and groundbreaking research focused on cancer and infectious diseases. Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Washington.

 

With a track record of global leadership in bone marrow transplantation, HIV/AIDS prevention, immunotherapy and COVID-19 vaccines, Fred Hutch has earned a reputation as one of the world’s leading cancer, infectious disease and biomedical research centers. Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation, proton therapy and related services, and network affiliations with hospitals in five states. Together, our fully integrated research and clinical care teams seek to discover new cures to the world’s deadliest diseases and make life beyond cancer a reality.

 

At Fred Hutch we value collaboration, compassion, determination, excellence, innovation, integrity and respect. Our mission is directly tied to the humanity, dignity and inherent value of each employee, patient, community member and supporter. Our commitment to learning across our differences and similarities make us stronger. We seek employees who bring different and innovative ways of seeing the world and solving problems.

 

The Transition Registered Nurse provides transition and discharge teaching/planning for patients along the continuum of care. Care planning includes assessment, evaluation and integration of care with a multi-disciplinary team, focusing on continuity of care throughout the system. The nurse also interfaces with home infusion/homecare agencies and SNFS.

 

This position is 0.71 FTE, 28.4 hours/week.

• Assesses physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs and evaluates patients’ adaptation to health changes
• Develops a plan of care based on patients’ disease, symptoms, and response to treatment
• Educates patients, families, and caregivers on disease processes, treatment, side effects and symptom management
• Coordinates with inter-disciplinary team to ensure continuity of care
• Refers patients, families and caregivers as appropriate to other clinical resources/professionals such as social work, home health care, clinical nutrition, etc.
• Implements, evaluates and modifies plan of care
• Integrates research and evidence based knowledge into clinical practice

In addition to primary responsibilities, skills, education and experience listed in the job description, the Transition RN will have the following key responsibilities:

• Able to provide Transition Planning services at the UW Medical Center and the Fred Hutch Clinic
• Participate in assessment and evaluations of patient/family care throughout transitions.
• Participate in the nursing coordination for individual patient/families transitioning to various areas of care.
• Coordinate patient care plans with home infusion agencies, home care agencies and skilled facilities.
• Document assessments, interventions, plan in the Medical Record after each patient encounter.
• Collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team to ensure continuity of patient/family care throughout transition.
• Teach classes for patients and families both on a 1-on-1 basis and in a classroom setting.
• Function as liaison with insurance company case managers throughout treatment process including providing outpatient utilization review updates as needed.
• Communicates in a respectful and effective manner with other staff.
• Act as Clinic ambassador to Inpatient Units, infusion companies, and referring offices when appropriate.
• Facilitates as smooth a transition as realistically possible.
• Support a patient and family centered philosophy
• Listen to concerns of patient /families and/ caregivers in an objective manner.
• Review complicated discharges with Transition Supervisor to develop an overall plan and promote a consistent message.
• Informs Transition Supervisor of high-risk patient situations or operational issues.
• Discuss discharges briefly at beginning of each day with other Transition RN’s and assume appropriate workloads.
• Follows report guidelines for transition.
• Serves as a resource regarding transition to all team members caring for patients.
• Flexible in incorporating patient care outside own assignment to assist with patient care needs within the Transition Team.
• Demonstrates appropriate problem solving when working with other departments.
• Follows and implements policies and standards of the Transition Program.
• Participates in continuing education programs.
• Keeps current in area of expertise through journals, books, and conferences.
• Participates in professional organizations.

Required:

• Graduated from an accredited school of nursing
• Must have a current Washington State Registered Nurse (RN) license or current NLC multistate license (MSL); and must upgrade to an MSL with primary state of residence, WA, within 60 days of hire. This requirement may be waived under specific circumstances, subject to approval.
• Applicants that do not have previous oncology experience will be provided additional training and support
• Current BLS AHA Health Provider Card (or equivalent course, such as by the American Red Cross) and renewal required every two years
• Additional certification may be required dependent upon the department. 
• Critical thinking: the ability to practice the cognitive skills of analyzing, applying standards, discriminating, information seeking, logical reasoning, predicting, and transforming knowledge
• Ability to develop clinical judgment.
• Time Management skills: the ability to organize and manage time and tasks independently
• Ability to communicate effectively by looking and listening for cues, asking open-ended questions, exploring cues, using pauses, screening responses, and clarifying responses.
• Ability to effectively listen by using reflecting, acknowledging, summarizing, empathizing, and paraphrasing skills.
• Ability to effectively provide information by checking what information the person knows already, giving small amounts of information at a time, using clear terms and avoiding jargon, avoiding detail unless it is requested, checking for understanding, and pausing and waiting for a response.

Preferred:

• 2 years of nursing experience, 3 years of experience in Bone Marrow Transplant, Immunotherapy or oncology strongly preferred
• Excellent teaching skills
• Basic computer skills (Outlook, EPIC, etc)
• Experience in following areas:
  • Health Insurance Industry
  • Home health care
  • Discharge planning
  • Patient/family education
  • Ambulatory care

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We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, age, disability (physical or mental), marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, political ideology, or membership in any other legally protected class. We desire priority referrals of protected veterans. If due to a disability you need assistance/and or a reasonable accommodation during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to Human Resources at hrops@fredhutch.org or by calling 206-667-4700.