Posted: January 15th, 2023

Examining the Role of Nurse Navigators in Coordinating Care for Cancer Patients

Examining the Role of Nurse Navigators in Coordinating Care for Cancer Patients

Nurse navigators are professionals who help cancer patients overcome the barriers and challenges they face in their care journey. They provide individualized assistance, education, resources, and support to patients, families, and caregivers from the time of diagnosis to the end of treatment and beyond. They also coordinate care among the interprofessional cancer team and facilitate timely access to quality health and psychosocial care. In this blog post, we will examine the role of nurse navigators in coordinating care for cancer patients, the benefits they bring to patients and health care institutions, and the competencies they need to perform their role effectively.

What is the role of nurse navigators in coordinating care for cancer patients?

The role of nurse navigators in coordinating care for cancer patients can vary depending on the setting, population, and type of cancer they serve. However, some common functions of nurse navigators include:

– Conducting comprehensive assessments of patients’ needs, preferences, goals, and barriers to care.
– Providing general and focused education on cancer, testing, treatment options, side effects, symptom management, survivorship, and end-of-life care.
– Offering decision-making support and helping patients understand their treatment plan and consent forms.
– Communicating and collaborating with the interprofessional cancer team to ensure continuity and quality of care.
– Advocating for patients’ rights and preferences and addressing any ethical issues or conflicts that may arise.
– Referring patients to appropriate resources and services, such as financial assistance, transportation, lodging, support groups, counseling, palliative care, hospice care, etc.
– Following up with patients throughout their care journey and evaluating their outcomes and satisfaction.
– Providing emotional support and coping strategies to patients and their families.

What are the benefits of nurse navigators for cancer patients and health care institutions?

Nurse navigators can bring many benefits to cancer patients and health care institutions by improving the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of cancer care. Some of these benefits include:

– Reducing delays in diagnosis and treatment initiation by facilitating timely access to appointments, tests, procedures, and consultations.
– Enhancing patient and caregiver knowledge, understanding, and self-efficacy by providing relevant information and education.
– Improving patient adherence to recommended care by addressing barriers, such as financial issues, transportation problems, language difficulties, literacy gaps, etc.
– Improving patient satisfaction and quality of life by reducing stress, anxiety, confusion, and uncertainty.
– Improving patient outcomes by reducing complications, hospitalizations, readmissions, emergency department visits, etc.
– Reducing health care costs by avoiding unnecessary or duplicate services, optimizing resource utilization, and increasing efficiency.

What are the competencies of nurse navigators?

Nurse navigators need to have specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform their role effectively. The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) has developed a set of core competencies for oncology nurse navigators (ONNs), which include:

– Coordination of care: The ability to plan, implement, evaluate, and document patient-centered care across the cancer continuum in collaboration with the interprofessional team.
– Communication: The ability to communicate effectively with patients, families, caregivers, and health care providers using verbal, nonverbal, written, electronic, and interpersonal skills.
– Education: The ability to assess learning needs; provide general and focused education; use evidence-based teaching strategies; evaluate learning outcomes; and document education activities.
– Professional role: The ability to demonstrate professionalism; adhere to ethical principles; maintain competence; engage in lifelong learning; participate in quality improvement; advocate for patients; and collaborate with colleagues.

Conclusion

Nurse navigators are valuable members of the cancer care team who help patients navigate the complex health care system and their treatment plan. They provide individualized assistance,
education,
resources,
and support
to patients,
families,
and caregivers
from the time of diagnosis
to the end of treatment
and beyond.
They also coordinate care
among the interprofessional cancer team
and facilitate timely access
to quality health
and psychosocial care.
Nurse navigators can improve
the quality,
efficiency,
and effectiveness
of cancer care
by reducing delays,
enhancing knowledge,
improving adherence,
increasing satisfaction,
improving outcomes,
and reducing costs.

Bibliography

ONS (2017) Oncology Nurse Navigator Core Competencies. Available at: https://www.ons.org/sites/default/files/2017-07/ONNCompetencies_rev.pdf (Accessed: 15 January 2024).

ONS (2021) Role of the Oncology Nurse Navigator Throughout the Cancer Trajectory. Available at: https://www.ons.org/make-difference/advocacy-and-policy/position-statements/ONN (Accessed: 15 January 2024).

American Cancer Society (2021) Types of Cancer Navigators. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/patient-navigation/types-of-cancer-navigators.html (Accessed: 15 January 2024).

Clearview Cancer Institute (2021) Nurse Navigators Vital to Cancer Care. Available at: https://www.clearviewcancer.com/nurse-navigators-vital-to-cancer-care/ (Accessed: 15 January 2024).

Cancer.Net (2016) Lost in the Cancer Care System? Nurse Navigators Can Help. Available at: https://www.cancer.net/blog/2016-11/lost-cancer-care-system-nurse-navigators-can-help (Accessed: 15 January 2024).

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