Oncology Nurse Navigator Recruiters

What do we check before you see anyone?

RN license: We screen license status for the practice location and review relevant nursing history. Ask, “Which oncology duties did you perform directly, and which belonged to another team member?” A useful answer distinguishes nursing assessment, education, referral coordination, and administrative support.

• Referral tracking: Ask, “What would you do if a referral arrived without the pathology report needed for review?” Look for record retrieval, communication with the referring office, clear tracking, and escalation under your process rather than an unsupported scheduling decision.
• Patient education: Ask, “How would you check whether a patient understood the next appointment and whom to contact with questions?” Listen for plain language, teach-back, approved materials, and interpreter access when needed, not promises about outcomes.
• Symptom calls: Ask, “How did you handle a patient question that moved beyond appointment coordination?” Strong evidence includes the applicable triage process, prompt contact with the responsible clinician, accurate documentation, and a closed handoff without prescribing or improvising advice.
• Access barriers: Ask, “How would you respond if transportation problems threatened a scheduled visit?” Look for practical work with social work, scheduling, and available support services. The candidate should describe consent, realistic options, and follow-up rather than assume resources exist.
• Tracking and handoffs: Ask, “How did you identify referrals still awaiting action and communicate unresolved items before leaving?” Useful answers name the tracking method, ownership, documentation, and escalation route. Ask how the nurse handled duplicate referrals and conflicting appointment information.

Which mistakes stall the search?

A common mistake is treating infusion experience as proof of navigation experience. Ask for an example of tracking a patient across appointments, records, and multiple clinical teams. Another is advertising one role while assigning another. If the nurse also covers triage, clinic duties, or treatment visits, state those responsibilities before interviews.