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Erlanger Health System
Chattanooga, Tennessee

RN Orthopaedic Patient Navigator - Ortho - Full-Time

Registered NurseFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

The Orthopaedic Patient Navigator will function as a member of the Erlanger Orthopaedic team. The Navigator will manage and coordinate all aspects of care for the treatment of Orthopaedic disorders by working with Surgeons, hospital staff, office staff, and patients and their family.

The Navigator will collaborate with the Orthopaedic Surgeons and other members of the interdisciplinary team to organize care delivery and to facilitate the flow of the patient through the system.

This is accomplished through a multidisciplinary approach, such as serving as the patient�s advocate, educating patients, and care coordination. The Navigator will actively identify and address barriers to care that might keep the patient from receiving timely and appropriate treatment, both before and after surgery.

Before surgery, the Patient Navigator will review pretesting screening with coordination of issues with the surgeon and/or other members of the interdisciplinary team.

The Orthopaedic Patient Navigator will conduct daily rounds (on in-patients) and coordinate care issues with the surgeon and/or other members of the interdisciplinary team.

After surgery, the Patient Navigator will provide 90-day follow up and coordinate care issues with the surgeon and/or other members of the interdisciplinary team.

The Orthopaedic Patient Navigator is responsible for the overall education of the surgical patients, both before and after surgery. This patient education will be collaborated with the interdisciplinary team.

The Navigator is responsible for the development and implementation of patient pathways for surgical patients and must remain current with Clinical Practice Guidelines. The Navigator is also responsible for the development of patient and staff educational materials that are evidenced based.

The Orthopaedic Patient Navigator is responsible and accountable for tracking identified quality metrics as well as implementation of interventions to attain and maintain set metrics.

The Navigator will also help lead the Orthopaedic team in obtaining/maintaining Specialty Certifications for the Orthopedic Service Line.

The Patient Navigator will participate in community outreach opportunities related to Orthopaedics.

The expectations are that the Navigator will function autonomously and demonstrate professional behavior as he/she interfaces with the patients, community, and healthcare team.

Job Requirements

Education

Required:

Graduate from an accredited School of nursing.

Preferred

Bachelors of Science Degree in Nursing from an accredited school in the State of Tennessee.

Experience

Required

Minimum of 3 years clinical experience.

Preferred

Outpatient/Inpatient Orthopaedic care, prior educator, or navigation experience.

Quality improvement and/or discharge planning experience.

Position Requirement(s): License/Certification/Registration

Required

  • Current nursing licensure to practice in the state of Tennessee as a Registered Nurse.
  • Greater than 2 years Orthopaedic experience.

BLS completed prior to going to the unit/department and maintained going forward.

Completion of 8 Hours of Erlanger Online Education specific to Total Ankle, Hip, and Knee Replacement upon hire (will be assigned by Department Leadership and/or Educator).

Preferred

Department Position Summary

The Orthopaedic Patient Navigator is a Bachelor or Masters prepared Registered Nurse or related discipline, responsible for ensuring coordinated, seamless, and comprehensive quality services throughout the disease continuum.

The Navigator functions on the multidisciplinary team as an advocate, interpreter, educator, clinical liaison, counselor, and collaborator for patients and their caregivers.

The Navigator will demonstrate the ability to be self-motivated with strong and positive interpersonal skills, interacting with all levels of health care providers and staff to assist in patient education and care, both before surgery and 90-days after surgery.

The Orthopaedic Patient Navigator will act as a liaison within the facility and in the community promoting awareness of services that are provided by Erlanger Orthopaedics. The Navigator will work with the leadership team to collect and monitor quality metrics. The Navigator will report the quality metrics to leadership, surgeons, and the monthly Orthopaedic meeting. The Orthopaedic Navigator will work to ensure evidenced-based and compliance standards are met.

The Orthopaedic Patient Navigator will demonstrate clinical expertise in the role and serve as a resource person in collaborating with the leadership and interdisciplinary team to maintain and advance standards of care. The Navigator will provide patient education, in coordination with the interdisciplinary team, for each patient�s individualized requirements in relation to his/her specific needs.

The Navigator will work collaboratively with medical teams and has the ability to build and maintain solid interdepartmental relationships. The Navigator is knowledgeable of current Clinical Practice Guidelines and new treatment protocols for Orthopaedic patients. The Navigator will ensure that all personal, patient and departmental safety guidelines are upheld.

The Orthopaedic Navigator will ensure that all patient information is kept private and confidential. The Navigator will deliver compassionate care, while supporting the rights and dignity of all patients.

Key Responsibilities

The Orthopaedic Patient Navigator manages and coordinates comprehensive care for surgical patients by collaborating with surgeons and the interdisciplinary team. They are responsible for patient education, tracking quality metrics, and facilitating the patient's journey through the healthcare system before and after surgery.

Requirements

Candidates must be a graduate of an accredited School of Nursing with a current Tennessee RN license and at least 3 years of clinical experience. A minimum of 2 years of orthopaedic experience is required, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing is preferred.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Patient navigationOrthopaedic nursingQuality metrics trackingInterdisciplinary collaborationPatient advocacyEvidence-based practiceBLS certificationSurgical patient careData monitoring

Orthopedic Surgery — Registered Nurse Career Context

Of the 50 active Registered Nurse listings this role was benchmarked against, 24% are remote, 60% have no call, 70% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Tennessee is 91.9 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 58.6% of Tennessee clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

What does the Registered Nurse market look like in Tennessee?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Cost of livingTennessee index 91.9US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
All registered nurse listings in Tennessee155 active5,766 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 24% remote · 60% no call · 70% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedTennessee registered nurse listings (all specialties): 8% state a sign-on bonus · 0% offer loan repayment155 active listings, Nov 2026
New Orthopedic Surgery listings (all professions)338 in the last 30 days208 the 30 days before (+63%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Registered Nurse pay trend (all specialties)+5.9% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page. Tennessee figures use all registered nurses: too few Tennessee Orthopedic Surgery postings state pay.

Location & Logistics

Tennessee has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states.

Top Registered Nurse Jobs

38 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

27 jobs · 26 employers
5
<$95k
7
$95k-110k
9
$110k-125k
4
$125k-140k
2
$140k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

20 jobs
401k / retirement match
100%
Sign-on bonus
20%
CME allowance
15%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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Work-life snapshot

median 3.9this job 1.5
Below most Registered Nurse roles listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 5,720 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Chattanooga

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$324k
Typical market rent
$1,498/mo
Residents’ average commute
19 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
91.5
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Chattanooga, TN-GA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.