Heart Failure Nurse Navigator- Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital-Lakeland, FL

Opening Summer 2026 at 4000 Lakeland Highlands Road, Lakeland, FL.

The Orlando Health System of Care includes award-winning hospitals and ERs, specialty institutes, urgent care centers, primary care practices and outpatient facilities that span Florida’s east to west coasts, Central Alabama and Puerto Rico. Collectively, our dedicated team members honor our over 100-year legacy by providing professional and compassionate care to the patients, families and communities we serve. Join us!

Combining the collective strengths of two powerhouse organizations, Orlando Health and the high-quality physicians at Watson Clinic are expanding access to award-winning specialty care for patients in Polk County and beyond.

Opening in summer 2026, Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital – a state-of-the-art, seven-story, multi-specialty hospital – will serve as a vital 550,000 square-foot healthcare hub offering:

• 300+ inpatient beds and 69 emergency and observation beds
• 11 operating rooms and four cardiac interventional suites
• Dedicated labor and delivery services – including a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) that will debut shortly after the hospital opens
• Comprehensive cardiovascular, neurology, and oncology services
• Advanced surgical procedures

Join us in shaping the future of healthcare in Polk County as part of the Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital opening team and share in the privilege of saying you were there from the very beginning.

Benefits Beyond the Expected

Orlando Health is committed to providing you with benefits that go beyond the expected, with career-growing FREE education programs and well-being services to support you and your family through every stage of life. We begin your benefits on day one and offer flexibility wherever possible, so that you can be present for your passions. “Orlando Health Is Your Best Place to Work” is not just something we say, it’s our promise to you.

• Benefits that begin on Day 1
• Four (4) weeks paid parental leave
• Debt-free degrees through our Preferred Education Program
• Tuition reimbursement and loan repayment programs
• Back-up childcare and elder care
• Fertility benefits and adoption assistance
• NCLEX reimbursement
• Free NCPDs for RN license
• Free Kaplan review courses
• Dedicated RN career counselor and GN Coordinators to develop you
• Specialty certifications reimbursement
• And more!

Position Summary:

Leverages best practices and evidence-based guidelines to deliver high quality, efficient, consistent, and coordinated care to patients diagnosed with heart failure, in collaboration with multidisciplinary clinical teams and partnered organizations and services.

The ideal candidate will have extensive cardiology clinical experience (nursing or other licensed clinician) and a proven track record in managing patients with heart failure and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This role leverages evidence-based guidelines and best practices to deliver high-quality, efficient, consistent, and coordinated care for patients diagnosed with heart failure, while collaborating with multidisciplinary clinical teams and community partners. Candidates should have demonstrated experience driving improvements in key cardiovascular outcomes, including mortality, readmissions, complications, and overall quality of care.

Essential Functions

• • Compile and analyze data used to identify hospitalized acute and chronic heart failure patients, and distribute such patient lists to
  other departments to encourage data consistency and promote multidisciplinary collaboration.
  • Provide detailed and contemporary education and discharge materials tailored specifically to patient needs via booklets, videos,
  classes, and other channels, as necessary, to educate heart failure patients, their families, and their caregivers.
  • Demonstrate the highest levels of compassion, nursing skill, and technical competency in all patent interactions.
  • Establish and maintain a positive working relationship with patients to foster patient engagement and drive treatment compliance.
  • Document patient care in a knowledgeable, skillful, and consistent manner meeting all required and regulatory standards.
  • Perform assessments of patient needs, available resources, precipitating factors, and educational opportunities to develop/revise
  individualized care plans, and to evaluate patient progress toward attaining expected outcomes.
  • Determine and anticipate post-acute patient needs, including services such as home health support, durable medical equipment, and
  REACH Team/Social Services to maximize care outcomes across the care continuum.
  • Serve as an advocate for the patient, collaborating with cross-functional and multidisciplinary teams, to enable high quality and
  reliable care transitions and access to medications.
  • Act as the principal facilitator between Orlando Health and contracted vendors to improve the longitudinal care for heart failure
  patients, including coordinating with the paramedicine program team, leveraging remote patient monitoring solutions, and
  connecting patients with palliative care services, as necessary, among other such programs.
  • Coordinate with the Heart Failure Clinic to ensure patients are scheduled for follow up appointments post-acutely, either for virtual
  or in-person care, to reduce the likelihood for re-hospitalization.
  • Coordinate telephonic or virtual visit outreach to all heart failure patients within three days of discharge from the hospital to assess
  their clinical progress, evaluate their understanding of the condition, verify follow up appointments are calendared, and encourage
  healthy behaviors and medication adherence.
  • Actively participate in program-specific collaborative opportunities, including multidisciplinary rounds.
  • Serve on, or actively engage with, related quality and readmission task forces, and regularly attend corporate and site-specific heart
  failure collaborative sessions, including AHA “Get with the Guidelines” sessions, SNF/DON collaborative meetings, and Corporate
  Heart Failure CC team building sessions.
  • Collaborate with appropriate outlying facilities and agencies to ensure protocols are aligned with evidence-based guidelines.
  • Understand the principles of growth and development over the life span and/or disease state and implement interventions, as
  appropriate, while being sensitive to cultural needs and patient preferences.
  • Communicate appropriate information regarding patient condition or unit concerns to other health care team members.
  • Exhibit respect to patients and families by showing awareness of legal issues and patients’ rights, consistently providing a safe and
  clean care environment, and ensuring all other safety, health, and regulatory standards are satisfactorily met and satisfied.
  • Prioritize patient care in an ongoing manner in accordance with Evidence-Based Practice Standards of Care.
  • Perform all other duties as assigned.
  • Maintain reasonably regular, punctual attendance consistent with Orlando Health policies, the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state
  and local standards.
  • Maintain compliance with all Orlando Health policies and procedures.

Education & Training

• Bachelor’s degree required (healthcare, life sciences, or healthcare administration preferred).

Licensure / Certification

•  Maintains current State of Florida RN license or valid eNLC multistate RN license.
  • Maintains current BLS/Healthcare Provider certification.
  • Heart Failure certification (CHFN) required within one (1) year of placement into role.

Experience

• Three (3) years of experience as a registered nurse, including two (2) years in an acute care, hospital setting. Must meet unit specific
  performance competencies and may be required to take specialty courses or training to qualify.