LPN Navigator

Job Summary

The Licensed Practice Nurse (LPN) Navigator utilizes a high level of knowledge of the disease process in the coordination of critical medical information for the specialty department. The Navigator works directly with physicians, associate practitioners, and nursing staff to effectively communicate medical issues.

Coordinates care with referring providers inside and outside of Kaiser Permanente, including hospital systems, radiology, imaging studies, surgical procedures, and external physicians. Reviews data received prior to the visit and utilize standing orders, workflows, specialty guidelines, and sound judgment for timely scheduling of appointments that are in line with the treatment plan.

Demonstrates the ability to be self-directed and act independently to manage multiple scheduling tasks at once and intervene as appropriate to resolve issues.

Essential Responsibilities

• Utilize direct template management in the daily coordination of member appointments. Ensures that members are scheduled with the appropriate subspecialist within a department.
• Serves as a resource for internal and external providers who may have STAT or urgent referrals.
• Asks pertinent questions to ascertain need for office visit and assist in scheduling appointments, if necessary, based on guidelines established by the department providers.
• Facilitate member appointments as triaged by the primary physician or associate practitioners, lab, radiology, or specialty consults for follow-up encounters.
• Ensure that various functions, outpatient schedules, procedural schedules, imaging are coordinated and efficient.
• Assist with the day-to-day management of new patient referrals from internal and external providers, as well as self-referrals.
• Act as a resource for the call center and advice for appropriate scheduling of members within a department.
• Responsible for new patient consult research of external medical records, procedures, pathology and radiology reports and lab test results.
• Maintains and updates medical record files, specialty charts, and completes disability forms.
• Responsible for communicating with external referring providers, patients, and family members to obtain necessary medical records, to include imaging films and reports, CT Scans, pathology reports, operative notes, office visit notes, lab data, and patient consult notes, and making them available for the provider interview during a new consult visit.
• Responsible for maintaining accurate record keeping, referral database and generating reports on referral activity.
• Consults with Practitioners, RNs, and Nursing Supervisor to provide information relating to the department. May arrange hospital admissions under the supervision of a RN.
• Answers inquiries from external/internal providers, HCT members, patients and family members by telephone or in person relating to the information needed in the referral process.
• Participates in departmental QA activities; assists supervisor in compliance with regulatory agencies, development and revision of general procedures and standards.
• Maintains statistical data as requested by provider or supervisor.
• Responsible for receipt of results and reviewed results with the timing of the consult visit.
• Carry out various direct patient care activities within scope of practice and accurately documents patient care in the medical record according to KP and department policy.
• Assist with the maintenance and revision of clinic templates.
• Assists in orientation of staff as needed.
• May perform other duties as assigned.