Role of the Navigator

Oncology navigators need to set boundaries with their patients and their colleagues to ensure their mental health is a priority.

Working in oncology can take a toll on one's mental health; oncology navigators should take measures to avoid burnout and preserve their mental health.

Perfect Provider Syndrome and Perfect Patient Syndrome affect patient care because there are less opportunities for real conversaitons.

Kelly Grosklags, LICSW, BCD, FAAGC shares how Perfect Provider Syndrome can occur in providers who want to do everything they can to please their patients.

When considering adding a nurse or patient navigator to your cancer care team, ensure that your job description includes goals, responsibilities, and tasks specific to your institution.

When oncology nurse navigator Lindsey Smith expanded her education and sought out perspectives from people affected by cancer, she learned how she could better address the concerns of her own patients and help them feel supported, even after treatment ends.

The state of clinical trials has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In December’s Facebook Live event, experts highlighted the integral role of the navigator in providing assessment, education, and support for patients with cancer who are considering their clinical trial options.

Nancy Peña, OPN-CG, Founder and Director, Navegación de Pacientes International, describes the differences in navigation in Guatemala versus the United States. Navigators face challenges with time, money, and data collection. Rowan Robinson, BN, MSN, Navigator/Quality Lead, Netcare, Ltd, South Africa, says that South African navigators encountered suspicion from patients, which led to a marketing campaign to introduce navigation.

Navigators must educate providers and patients about the role of the navigator and how it differs from other practitioners, such as social workers, says Nancy Peña, OPN-CG, Founder and Director, Navegación de Pacientes International. Rowan Robinson, BN, MSN, Navigator/Quality Lead, Netcare, Ltd, South Africa, mentions the crucial need for education across the board since navigation is a new practice in South Africa.

Nancy Peña, OPN-CG, Founder and Director, Navegación de Pacientes International, and Rowan Robinson, BN, MSN, Navigator/Quality Lead, Netcare, Ltd, South Africa, share some of their most poignant experiences from their navigation practice in the United States and in other countries.