Oncology Charge Nurse

Description

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Oncology Charge Nurse (RN) provides specialized oncology nursing care while serving as the on-shift clinical and operational leader for the infusion center. The role integrates direct patient care, advance review and coordination of chemotherapy and infusion treatments, staff support, patient flow, resource allocation, and timely escalation of clinical or operational concerns. Working collaboratively with nursing leadership, physicians, advanced practice providers, pharmacy, scheduling, and other interdisciplinary partners, the Charge Nurse promotes safe, efficient, evidence-based, and patient-centered care across the continuum. Performs job duties in accordance with the mission, vision, values, policies, and regulatory standards. 

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide and coordinate safe, evidence-based nursing care for patients receiving oncology, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, transfusion, and other infusion therapies.
• Serve as the on-shift clinical resource and team leader, supporting staff with patient assessment, clinical decision-making, emergency response, and escalation of high-risk or complex situations.
• Coordinate daily patient flow, assignments, staffing coverage, chair utilization, and clinical resources in collaboration with nursing leadership.
• Delegate and oversee clinical activities based on patient needs, staff competency, scope of practice, and organizational policy.
• Review treatment charts and infusion schedules in advance to verify required laboratory results, signed medication orders, treatment parameters, prior authorization status, and medication availability.
• Evaluate laboratory values and clinical findings; promptly communicate potential dose adjustments, treatment delays, required interventions, or other concerns to providers, pharmacy, nursing staff, scheduling teams, and leadership.
• Monitor patients for treatment-related symptoms, adverse reactions, complications, and changes in condition; initiate appropriate nursing interventions and emergency response procedures.
• Educate patients and families regarding treatment plans, expected side effects, symptom management, recovery expectations, self-care, and changes to scheduled care.
• Conduct follow-up communication after a patient’s initial infusion, as assigned, to assess status, answer questions, and identify concerns requiring intervention.
• Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant documentation of assessments, interventions, care coordination, patient education, and treatment outcomes in the electronic medical record.
• Support staff orientation, precepting, competency development, and adherence to clinical standards, infection prevention practices, hazardous drug precautions, and regulatory requirements.
• Participate in quality improvement, patient safety, incident review, workflow optimization, and other unit or organizational initiatives.
• Assist with proactive review of treatment charts, laboratory results, medication orders, authorization status, medication availability, and infusion schedules to identify and resolve issues before treatment.
• Coordinate with providers, nursing, pharmacy, leadership, and scheduling teams regarding required changes or interventions; communicate treatment updates to patients and follow up after their first infusion to address questions or concerns.

Requirements

REQUIRED EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited nursing program required; bachelor’s degree strongly preferred.
• Minimum of two (2) years of clinical nursing experience, including at least one (1) year in oncology infusion, chemotherapy administration, or a comparable specialty setting; prior charge, preceptor, or clinical leadership experience preferred.

REQUIRED CERTIFICATES, LICENSE OR REGISTRATION:

• Current, active, and unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license issued by Florida or a Compact State.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required and maintained.
• Current ONS/ONCC Chemotherapy /biotherapy card provider (required).
• Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN®) certification preferred or willingness to obtain within two (2) years of hire. 

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS OR ABILITIES:

• Advanced knowledge of oncology and hematology conditions, antineoplastic and supportive therapies, symptom management, professional nursing standards, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Expertise in patient assessment, clinical triage, treatment reaction management, rapid intervention, and escalation of care.
• Ability to prioritize, delegate, assign work, coordinate patient flow, and allocate clinical resources effectively in a dynamic outpatient setting.
• Knowledge of hazardous drug handling, infection prevention, medication safety, quality improvement, patient safety science, and risk mitigation.
• Proficiency in electronic health records, including Epic, and in clinical documentation, secure communication, treatment-plan review, and scheduling workflows.
• Strong interdisciplinary collaboration, conflict resolution, coaching, and professional communication skills.
• Ability to apply evidence-based practice and sound independent judgment to complex clinical and operational situations.
• Proficient in clinical triage protocols, including assessing symptom severity and guiding appropriate care pathways.
• Knowledge of HIPAA regulations and documentation standards in electronic health records (EHR), such as EPIC.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.