A nurse liaison serves as a link between patients and medical staff at a facility, acting as a sort of middleman. A nurse liaison assesses patients and helps evaluate their needs, communicates with other members of the health-care team, answers questions from patients and their families, and helps coordinate appointments, tests, and treatments. In many cases, a nurse liaison is also responsible for completing patient care paperwork and ensuring that patients have health insurance that covers the procedures scheduled. These health care professionals may work in a variety of settings, including hospitals and other acute-care facilities, as well as hospices and long-term care facilities.
The evaluation of patients is a big part of a nurse liaison’s job. A nurse liaison, for example, may conduct an initial assessment of a patient’s condition and review relevant medical records in order to determine whether the patient should be admitted. A person with this title may evaluate a patient’s health insurance or ability to pay as part of the admissions process in order to ensure that the care he receives will be covered financially. This type of nurse may also look over a patient’s records to see if he is ready to be discharged.
A nurse liaison’s responsibilities also include communication. A person with this title can help patients and their families by answering questions and listening to their concerns. He could also act as a liaison between different health-care professionals. He might, for example, make it easier for doctors, surgeons, nurses, health-care technicians, and other health-care professionals involved in a patient’s care to communicate. He may also help with communication between admissions and discharge representatives, as well as case managers.
A person with above-average communication skills, computer proficiency, and knowledge of a variety of medical conditions, procedures, and treatments is usually required to work as a nurse liaison. In most cases, a person who wants to work as a registered or licensed practical nurse must first become a registered or licensed practical nurse, and some employers may prefer candidates with bachelor’s degrees in nursing. Many employers also favor nurse liaison candidates with prior health-care experience. A year or two of nursing experience, for example, may be preferred, and sales or administrative experience may also make a person an especially attractive job candidate.