Pre-Anesthesia Nurse (RN) Navigator

Gunnison Valley Health; Gunnison (CO); On-site; USD 50,000 - 78,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Lifestyle Spending Account

Employer retirement match

Tuition reimbursement

Paid time off

Employee Assistance Program

Nutrition consultations

Discounted fitness membership

Job summary

Gunnison Valley Health in Gunnison, CO is seeking a Pre-Anesthesia Nurse Navigator to coordinate the pre-anesthesia process.

You will serve as dedicated navigator, conduct holistic preoperative screening, review records, order and track tests, and educate patients and families about prep and NPO.

This full-time role offers a competitive salary ($36.50–$56.58/hour), strong benefits, and a Clinical Ladder program to recognize professional growth.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's or Associate's Degree in Nursing (RN) from an accredited school; BSN preferred.
• Experience: Minimum of 2 years of RN experience; perioperative, PACU, critical care, medical-surgical, or ambulatory surgery preferred.
• Licenses/Certification: Current Colorado State license or Compact license; BLS and ACLS required.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the dedicated navigator and single point of contact guiding each surgical patient through the entire pre anesthesia testing process.
• Complete a holistic preoperative screening for each patient, including history, diagnoses, medications, allergies, risk factors and any other functional, psychosocial and language or learning needs.
• Review medical records and obtain results from outside providers in advance of surgery day.
• Order, track and review indicated peroperative tests to include laboratory studies, ECG and imaging.
• Apply risk stratification to determine testing, timing of evaluation and the need for anesthesia.
• Provide patient and family education on preoperative prep, NPO instructions, smoking cessation and any pre-procedure expectations.

Skills

RN experience

Perioperative

PACU

Ambulatory surgery

Education

RN degree

BSN preferred

Tools

Epic EHR

Job description

Description

150 top places to work in healthcare|2025Becker's Hospital Review

Pre-Anesthesia Nurse Navigator:

Share your talents in providing compassionate and high quality care to patients of Gunnison Valley Health. Help assure that the coordination and completion of the pre-anesthesia process goes smoothly. We need your expertise to keep our community healthy and thriving!

Where you’ll live:

Some define happiness by their job title and salary, while others pursue quality of life. Our community combines the best of both worlds by fostering a growing outdoor industry business hub in the heart of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. The Gunnison Valley, which includes the towns of Gunnison and Crested Butte, is a vibrant community of entrepreneurs and adventurers. We are deeply connected with our surrounding environment, neighbors and growing community. This is the kind of place where hard work is rewarded, whether that means a day on the mountain or at the office.

Here at Gunnison Valley Health, your good work will be rewarded. In addition to a competitive salary, a generous and affordable medical/dental/vision plan, and an employer matched retirement plan whose match increases with years of service, there are other great perks including:

• Up to $250 in your first year toward your unique Lifestyle Spending Account, matched retirement starting on day 1, and a dependent care matching plan
• A culture that values continuing education, backed up by a robust tuition reimbursement plan
• Paid time off benefits with an accrual rate of 10.77% in your first year of employment and increasing with years of service
• Access to mental health, financial health and wellness as well as life coaching with our Employee Assistance Program
• Free nutrition consultations, and discounted fitness membership at Western Colorado University Fieldhouse
• No traffic, and a scenic commute to the office

Requirements:

To be seriously considered for this role, you’ll need to have:

• Education: Bachelors or Associates Degree in Nursing (RN) from an accredited school. BSN preferred.
• Experience: Minimum of 2 years of recent RN experience required; perioperative, PACU, critical care, medical-surgical, or ambulatory surgery experience strongly preferred. Experience with pre-anesthesia / preoperative assessment, protocol-based order entry, and Epic (or comparable EHR) preferred.
• Licenses/Certification : Current Colorado State license or Compact license required. BLS and ACLS required.

We are committed to improving the health of our community by delivering exceptional care and services. As part of the team in the Operating Room, you will:

• Serve as the dedicated navigator and single point of contact guiding each surgical patient through the entire pre anesthesia testing process.
• Complete a holistic preoperative screening for each patient, including history, diagnoses, medications, allergies, risk factors and any other functional, psychosocial and language or learning needs.
• Review medical records and obtain results from outside providers in advance of surgery day.
• Order, track and review indicated peroperative tests to include laboratory studies, ECG and imaging.
• Apply risk stratification to determine testing, timing of evaluation and the need for anesthesia.
• Provide patient and family education on preoperative prep, NPO instructions, smoking cessation and any pre-procedure expectations.

Status - Full Time

Compensation: $36.50 - $56.580/hour DOE. In addition to the base salary, Nurses have the opportunity to increase their compensation through participation in our Clinical Ladder Program. This program recognizes and rewards engagement in organizational initiatives, professional development, leadership activities, and contributions to quality and patient safety efforts. Advancement on the Clinical Ladder is an opportunity to grow both professionally and financially.

There is no deadline to apply for this position; we are accepting applications on an ongoing basis until a finalist is selected.

Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. Gunnison Valley Health provides generous leave, health plans and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.

Benefits Eligibility

Medical, dental, vision, health care FSA, dependent care FSA, and Lifestyle Spending Account: All active employees working 40 or more hours per pay period in a Full Time or Part Time position are eligible for benefits on the first of the month after hire.

Full Time staff are automatically enrolled in 401A plan as of date of hire.

Life and AD&D insurance: All active employees working 40 or more hours per pay period are eligible for benefits on the first of the month after hire date.

Short-term and long-term disability: All active employees working 60 or more hours per pay period are eligible for benefits on the first of the month after hire date.

Occasionally - Walking, sitting, handling, pinching

Frequently – Standing, change position, reaching, reach across midline, feeling, crouching/squatting, stooping, kneeling, stairs, lifting/lowering (0-50 lbs), carrying (0-50 lbs), pushing/pulling (0-50 lbs)

Continuously – See with corrective eyewear, hear clearly with assistance

Qualifications

Licenses & Certifications

Preferred

RN

Equal Opportunity Employer
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