Oncology Nurse Navigator

Job Description

Location: Houston, TX

We are hiring for a Oncology Nurse Navigator with a leading cancer center located in the US. This position is a full-time, direct hire opportunity.

This role is ideal for an experienced oncology nurse who is ready to step out of the bedside setting and into a position of sustained patient advocacy and clinical leadership. Rather than managing a shift census, you will build longitudinal relationships with patients across their entire cancer journey, removing barriers, translating clinical information into understandable language, and ensuring that no appointment, referral, or support service is missed. If you are motivated by the opportunity to reduce anxiety and confusion for patients facing one of the most difficult diagnoses of their lives, and you thrive in a role that demands both clinical acumen and emotional intelligence, this position offers a deeply rewarding career path with room to grow into leadership, program development, and quality improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct comprehensive needs assessments for newly diagnosed oncology patients, identifying clinical, psychosocial, financial, and logistical barriers to care and developing individualized navigation plans tailored to each patient’s diagnosis, treatment trajectory, and support system
• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned patients across all phases of the cancer continuum, including diagnosis, surgical consultation, medical and radiation oncology treatment, clinical trial enrollment, survivorship planning, and transitions to palliative or hospice care
• Coordinate and sequence multidisciplinary appointments across surgery, pathology, radiology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, infusion, and ancillary services to minimize delays between diagnosis and treatment initiation and ensure alignment with evidence-based care timelines
• Facilitate and attend tumor board presentations and multidisciplinary care conferences, providing nursing and navigation perspectives, relaying team recommendations to patients and families, and ensuring follow-through on all action items generated during case reviews
• Provide in-depth patient and family education on cancer diagnoses, staging, treatment modalities including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, radiation, and surgery, as well as expected side effects, symptom management strategies, and when to seek urgent care
• Proactively identify and resolve barriers to care including insurance authorization delays, transportation limitations, language and literacy needs, financial hardship, housing instability, and caregiver burden by leveraging internal resources and community partnerships
• Facilitate timely referrals to social work, financial counseling, nutrition, integrative medicine, palliative care, chaplaincy, clinical trials, and community cancer support organizations including lodging assistance programs and disease-specific foundations
• Monitor patients on active treatment for distress, unmanaged symptoms, and adherence challenges using validated screening tools such as the NCCN Distress Thermometer, coordinating timely interventions with the care team when concerns are identified
• Support clinical trial screening and enrollment activities by identifying potentially eligible patients, coordinating with research staff, facilitating pre-trial consultations, and providing education to patients and families about trial participation

Qualifications:

• Active, unencumbered Registered Nurse (RN) license in the state of Texas required prior to start date; multistate compact licensure accepted if Texas endorsement is in process
• Minimum of 3 years of direct oncology nursing experience required, with exposure to a broad range of cancer diagnoses and treatment modalities; prior nurse navigation, case management, or care coordination experience strongly preferred
• Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) or Oncology Nurse Navigator-Certified Generalist (ONN-CG) certification through ONCC preferred; candidates without certification must be eligible and willing to sit for the exam within 12 months of hire
• BSN required; MSN or graduate-level education in nursing, healthcare administration, or a related field preferred and may be considered in lieu of some navigation experience
• Demonstrated proficiency with oncology EHR platforms, particularly Epic Beacon or equivalent systems; experience with distress screening tools, care plan documentation, and registry reporting is a plus
• Strong working knowledge of cancer biology, staging systems, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, and multimodal treatment protocols across major tumor sites including breast, lung, GI, GYN, and hematologic malignancies

Schedule:

• Full-time, Monday through Friday
• On-site in Houston, TX with some hybrid flexibility
• Day shift, standard business hours

Salary Range: The salary range for this position is approximately $65,000 – $85,000 annually ($31.25 – $40.87 per hour), based on experience and qualifications.

Interview Process:

• Selected candidates will participate in a multi-step interview process, including an initial screening with TalentLNX followed by interviews with department leadership.

Equal Opportunity Employer: TalentLNX is committed to equal employment opportunity and a diverse, inclusive workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.