The Operating Room and Procedural Area Welcome Navigator serves as the primary liaison between patients, families, and the perioperative care team. This role focuses on enhancing the patient and family experience by providing consistent communication, assisting with navigation through the surgical process, maintaining a welcoming environment, and ensuring families receive timely updates throughout the day.

The Welcome Navigator rounds on patients and families in preoperative and waiting areas, supports communication between clinical staff and family members, and helps maintain a clean, organized, and calming environment for those awaiting procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to interact compassionately with patients and families during stressful situations.
• Excellent organizational and multitasking abilities.
• Experience in healthcare, hospitality, or patient services preferred.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and adhere to HIPAA guidelines.

EDUCATION: High School degree or equivalent required; ability to read, speak, and write English fluently. Bilingual preferred.

LICENSE/CERTIFICATION: Driver's license required. Current American Heart Association BLS required within 30 days from hire or transfer.

EXPERIENCE: Six to nine months patient care experience or formal education from an accredited school required); knowledge of medical terminology; interpersonal skills to effectively communicate and collaborate with other team members; ability to be flexible, set priorities, solve problems, and use proper judgment in difficult situations. Proficiency in Clinical Applications preferred at time of hire; incumbents within position will be trained appropriately and then skill will be required for this position within 30-60 days from date of hire.

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

Patient and Family Support

• Greet patients and families upon arrival to the perioperative and procedural areas.
• Provide guidance on the surgical process, expected timelines, and waiting room procedures.
• Round regularly on patients and families to ensure comfort and address questions or concerns. Escalate any questions or concerns to the clinical team.
• Assist patients and families in navigating the perioperative environment.
• Manages incoming phone calls and routes them to the appropriate department or personnel, reducing the communication burden on clinical staff and minimizing interruptions to patient care.

Communication Coordination

• Serve as a communication liaison between the operating room/procedural team and family members.
• Provide timely updates to families regarding procedure status when appropriate and approved by the clinical team.
• Coordinate with nursing staff to ensure accurate and consistent information is shared.
• Facilitate communication between families and care teams as needed.

Waiting Room Management

• Maintain a welcoming, calm, and organized waiting room environment.
• Ensure waiting areas remain clean, orderly, and stocked with necessary supplies and informational materials.
• Monitor patient and family needs within the waiting room and escalate concerns appropriately.
• Ensure that the tracking board is working correctly throughout the day and that all families have their tracking numbers for updates.

Patient Rounding

• Conduct regular rounds in preoperative and waiting areas to assess patient and family needs.
• Assist with non-clinical requests and provide reassurance during the perioperative experience.
• Identify opportunities to improve patient comfort and escalate concerns to the care team.

Experience & Service Excellence

• Support initiatives that improve patient and family experience in surgical and procedural services.
• Demonstrate compassionate, professional interactions with patients, families, and staff.
• Provide feedback to leadership regarding opportunities for service improvement.

Key Competencies

• Customer service and patient experience excellence
• Effective communication and relationship building
• Problem-solving and situational awareness
• Professionalism and empathy in high-stress environments
• Ability to coordinate across multidisciplinary teams

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Potential for exposure to blood borne pathogens along with infectious diseases. (Refers to Blood Bourne Pathogen requirement). Essential functions of this position are listed on the Assessment and Evaluation Tool.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP

This position reports to nursing unit leadership.

The above statement reflect the general details considered necessary to describe the principle functions of the job as identified and shall not be considered as a detailed description of all work requirements that may be inherent in the position.

Total Rewards at AtlantiCare 

At AtlantiCare, we believe in supporting the whole person. Our market-competitive Total Rewards package is designed to promote the physical, emotional, social, and financial well-being of our team members. We offer a comprehensive suite of benefits and resources, including: 

Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) 

Medical, Prescription Drug, Dental & Vision Insurance 

Retirement Plans with employer contributions 

Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Coverage 

Life & Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance 

Tuition Reimbursement to support your educational goals 

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) for healthcare and dependent care 

Wellness Programs to help you thrive 

Voluntary Benefits, including Pet Insurance and more 

Benefits offerings may vary based on position and are subject to eligibility requirements. 

Join a team that values your well-being and invests in your future.