Nurse Navigator– Inpatient Hematology

Primary Location

Burnet Campus

Department: CBDI Support

Shift: Day (United States of America)

Schedule: Full time

• Weekly Hours
• 40
• FTE
• 1
• Employee Status
• Regular

*Expected Starting Pay Range

$83,969.60 - $107,224.00

*Starting pay is based on experience, skills, and equity; exceptions may apply for highly qualified candidates. Additional pay (e. g., shift, on‑call, or weekend differentials) and benefits may apply. Annual pay may vary based on FTE status.

Registered Nurse Navigator – Inpatient Hematology

Shift: Days 4 X 10-hour (day off Tuesday) or 5 X 8-hour shifts

Make a Difference in the Lives of Children with Hematologic Conditions

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is seeking an experienced and compassionate Registered Nurse to join our Inpatient Hematology Nurse Navigation team.

The Inpatient Hematology Nurse Navigator plays a vital role in supporting patients and families throughout their hospital stay. Unlike a traditional outpatient navigator who primarily follows patients in clinic, this role is embedded within the inpatient setting, following hematology patients during admission and helping coordinate care across the multidisciplinary team.

The navigator will support patients with a variety of hematologic diagnoses and conditions. A significant portion of the inpatient population includes adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease, making a strong passion for caring for this population particularly valuable. At the same time, this role provides the opportunity to develop expertise across a broad range of pediatric hematology conditions.

This position is ideal for a nurse who enjoys complex care coordination, multidisciplinary collaboration, patient and family advocacy, and building strong relationships with patients during challenging hospitalizations.

What You'll Do

Inpatient Patient Navigation & Care Coordination

Serve as a consistent nursing resource and point of contact for hematology patients and families during hospitalization.

Follow patients throughout their inpatient stay to promote continuity, coordination, and a positive patient and family experience.

Coordinate care across nursing, physicians, advanced practice providers, social work, pharmacy, psychology, and other members of the interdisciplinary team.

• Identify barriers to care and work proactively with the healthcare team to address patient and family needs.
• Support coordination of diagnostic testing, procedures, consultations, treatments, discharge planning, and follow-up care.
• Help facilitate seamless transitions between inpatient and outpatient care.

Multidisciplinary Collaboration & Rounds

• Regularly participate in inpatient rounds and contribute nursing expertise to patient care planning.
• Serve as a communication bridge between the patient and family and members of the healthcare team.
• Facilitate timely communication of patient and family concerns, clinical needs, and barriers to care.
• Collaborate with the broader hematology team to ensure consistent understanding of the patient's treatment plan and goals.
• Help coordinate communication across services when patients have complex or multiple healthcare needs.

Clinical Assessment & Monitoring

• Assess patients throughout their hospitalization and identify changes or concerns requiring additional evaluation or intervention.
• Apply clinical knowledge of hematologic conditions and treatment plans to support timely care coordination.

Monitor clinical information, laboratory results, treatment plans, and other relevant patient data in collaboration with the healthcare team.

Recognize potential barriers, complications, or changes in the patient's condition and communicate concerns appropriately.

Participate in patient and family triage and clinical communication within scope of practice.

Patient & Family Education

• Provide individualized education related to the patient's diagnosis, treatment plan, hospitalization, medications, symptom management, and discharge needs.
• Reinforce education provided by the interdisciplinary team.
• Assess patient and family understanding and adapt education to meet developmental, cultural, and health-literacy needs.
• Prepare patients and families for transitions between inpatient and outpatient care.
• Support adolescents and young adults as they develop increasing independence in managing their healthcare.

Sickle Cell Patient & Family Support

• Develop strong therapeutic relationships with adolescents, young adults, and families affected by sickle cell disease.
• Support patients and families navigating complex or recurrent hospitalizations.
• Identify psychosocial, educational, financial, transportation, or other barriers that may affect care.
• Partner with social work, psychology, child life, school services, and community resources to address identified needs.
• Advocate for patient and family goals and preferences while supporting shared decision-making.
• Promote consistent communication and continuity across repeated hospital encounters.

Advocacy & Transitions of Care

• Advocate for patients and families throughout the hospitalization.
• Support effective discharge planning and preparation for return home.

Help ensure patients and families understand follow-up plans, medications, appointments, and ongoing care needs.

Facilitate communication with outpatient providers and other care teams to support continuity following discharge.

• Help identify opportunities to reduce fragmented care and improve the overall patient and family experience.
• Quality, Safety & Program Development

Participate in quality improvement initiatives focused on hematology care, patient navigation, transitions, and the patient and family experience.

Identify opportunities to improve communication, care coordination, workflows, and inpatient navigation processes.

• Contribute to development and maintenance of educational materials, resources, and role-specific workflows.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation in the electronic medical record.
• Support compliance with professional nursing standards and Cincinnati Children’s policies and procedures.

Why Cincinnati Children's?

At Cincinnati Children’s, we come to work with one goal: to make children's health better.

Our nurses are essential to achieving that mission. As an Inpatient Hematology Nurse Navigator, you will have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children, adolescents, young adults, and their families during some of their most challenging healthcare experiences.

You will work alongside nationally recognized pediatric hematology experts and a highly collaborative interdisciplinary team while helping patients and families navigate complex care.

• As a Cincinnati Children's nurse, you'll have the opportunity to:
• Build meaningful relationships with patients and families.
• Provide relationship-based, patient- and family-centered care.
• Develop specialized expertise in pediatric hematology and sickle cell disease.
• Work directly with a multidisciplinary team to coordinate complex care.
• Participate in rounds and contribute your nursing expertise to care planning.
• Advocate for adolescents and young adults as they develop greater independence in managing their health.
• Support improved transitions between inpatient and outpatient care.
• Identify opportunities to improve the patient and family experience.
• Continue to grow and elevate your nursing practice.

Join Our Inpatient Hematology Team

If you are an experienced pediatric nurse who is passionate about hematology, sickle cell disease, complex care coordination, and advocating for adolescents and young adults, we invite you to bring your expertise to Cincinnati Children’s.

As an Inpatient Hematology Nurse Navigator, you will be more than a care coordinator—you will be a consistent advocate, communicator, and resource for patients, families, and the healthcare team throughout the hospital journey.

Job Responsibilities

Patient Navigation & Care Coordination - Serve as a primary point of contact for assigned patients and families across phases of care. Coordinate care across inpatient, outpatient, procedural, and specialty services to ensure continuity and minimize fragmentation.

Facilitate referrals, diagnostic testing, procedures, treatments, and follow-up appointments. Support transitions of care (e. g., diagnosis to treatment, inpatient to outpatient, pediatric to adult care, survivorship).

Collaborate with internal and external providers, institutions, and community resources to support patient needs.

Clinical Assessment & Monitoring - Utilize advanced, disease-specific clinical expertise to assess patient status, anticipate treatment-related complications and side effects, and support timely clinical decision-making.

Evaluate treatment progress and response to care using established guidelines, pathways, and protocols. Monitor laboratory results, diagnostic studies, and treatment plans in collaboration with providers. Identify and escalate clinical concerns, barriers to care, or deviations from expected outcomes.

Participate in triage of patient and family calls, messages, and electronic communications within scope of practice.

Patient & Family Education - Provide diagnosis-specific, treatment-related, and anticipatory guidance tailored to patient and family needs. Educate patients and caregivers on symptom management, medications, treatment plans, and when/how to seek care. Reinforce safety education, discharge instructions, and care plans across settings. Assess health literacy and adapt education accordingly.

Psychosocial Support & Advocacy - Identify psychosocial, financial, logistical, and system-level barriers to care. Facilitate referrals to social work, psychology, school services, financial counseling, and community resources. Advocate for patient and family goals, preferences, and shared decision-making. Support patients and families during high-risk, complex, or emotionally challenging phases of care.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration - Act as a liaison