Nurse Care Coordinator

The Nurse Care Coordinator  is a registered nurse licensed in the State of Florida responsible for coordinating complex interdisciplinary management for individuals with congenital craniofacial differences. This position requires a high level of ongoing coordination of services. The patient and family need appropriate information to understand the rationale for, and implications of, such management. Nursing assessment, interventions, and ongoing follow-up evaluations are integral to the long-term care needs of the child or individual with congenital craniofacial differences and family. 

Role and Responsibilities          

·         Complex interdisciplinary management of patients with congenital differences and high level of ongoing coordination of services.

·         Nursing assessments, interventions, and ongoing evaluation. Establishes plan of care with patient and family that maximizes health potential. Refer patient to services, such as therapy, psychology, neuropsychology, dietary, home care, as well as utilizing all appropriate hospital and community resources. Maintains a process for systematic patient follow-up in hospital and clinic setting. 

·         Conduct initial intakes for new referrals, complete patient evaluations for patients with cleft lip, palate, craniofacial and concerns for Craniosynostosis and other anomalies.

·         Contact the family if SLP not available immediately following birth to provide feeding education/support. Coordinate with SLP and LCSW to schedule appointment for families to attend. 

·         Monitor need for feeding assessments, interventional teaching and follow up of nutritional and growth.

·         Managing naso-alveolar taping.
·         Preparation of patients and families for what to expect when either in-patient or outpatient surgical procedures are scheduled.

·         Attend ROC monthly meetings as able. Conduct prenatal consults for expectant parents with prenatal cleft including teaching regarding diagnosis, treatment, timeline of surgical procedures, feedings.   Coordinate care as needed with providers and or birthing hospitals with parental permission.

·         Oversight of patient scheduling. Monitoring and directing the flow of clinic to ensure each patient is seen by the appropriate specialists.

·         Serving as liaison between the team and the family and as the patient’s advocate.

·         Ensuring that patient records are prepared for the team staffing, following post conference composition of team note to patient/family and providers. Ensuring that post-clinic counseling is provided to all patients and families

·         Care coordination in a community team setting (multiple team providers), maintaining support for the family through telephone calls, office visits, emails and, when appropriate, and referral for community services. Ensuring coordination of community agency services and resources by serving as a liaison between the Craniofacial Center team and community providers as appropriate to meet family needs.

·         Develops and implements a treatment plan with the team providers, which involves the patient, family, and social support system, Identifies and provides skilled interventions to reach achievable goals, coordinates and collaborates on treatment options.   Establishing and optimizing a treatment plan may require working with patient’s primary care physician to coordinate care.
·         Promotes patient's independence by establishing patient care goals; teaching and counseling patient, friends, and family and reinforcing their understanding of diagnosis, medications, and self-care skills.

·         Follow up with after-hours patient calls, or emails that cannot wait until the next business day.
·         Hospital and community education in feeding and other aspects of the special care required by children with craniofacial differences. 
·         Ongoing educational programs for, and consistent liaison with, nursing staff at hospitals in the community as well as in remote locations to promote patient care and timely referrals for interdisciplinary management. 

·          Assists in planning and development of educational events and annual family events.

Qualifications and Education Requirements                             

Education: Completion of a recognized training program in nursing for registration as a Professional Registered Nurse in Florida is required. 

Experience: Prior pediatric nursing experience is required. Prefer cleft and craniofacial and or complex care of pediatric patients. 

Skills: Effective oral and written communication skills as well as excellent interpersonal skills are required. Organizational and management skills, specifically in directing the activities of staff, are required. Intermediate to advanced Microsoft Office, Word, Power Point, and Excel.
Intermediate Adobe Acrobat skills.
Effort: Must be able to lift 50lbs and endure extended periods of standing on a daily basis.
License: Must be actively licensed as a Registered Nurse in the state of Florida and have a valid Driver's License.
Demonstrates customer-focused service skills.

May be required to work outside traditional work schedule. Flexibility in work schedule.

Provides care to the following age groups: Infant (30 days to 1 yr.), child (1-12 years), adolescent (13- 21 years).