Nurse Navigators

A single point of contact

Between your primary care provider, oncologists, surgeons and other specialists, you will have many members of your care team working to ensure you receive effective care. Your nurse navigator serves as a single point of contact between you, your care team and any other specialists you may need.

Your nurse navigator also ensures you get the answers and support you need to continue receiving care. They can communicate your concerns about treatments or help you get assistance for treatment-related side effects from your doctors, a nutritionist or other team members. They can also coordinate services, such as transportation, to help you make it to your appointments.

Care coordination

Cancer is a complex condition that requires multiple specialists working together for the best possible outcome. Nurse navigators help ensure you meet with the specialists you need and that they are all on the same page about your wishes and goals for treatment.

In addition to providing individual care specific to your needs, your nurse navigator facilitates communication among the multi-disciplinary team. They review tests and treatment options individual doctors may recommend and can identify other services you may need, such as molecular testing, genetic counseling or participation in a clinical trial.

Advocating for you

Nurse navigators are advocates for your care needs. They provide timely resources, education and interventions tailored specifically for you. That advocacy may look different for everyone, depending on their diagnosis and needs.

You may need help managing the mental and emotional aspects of cancer, and your nurse navigator can explore options with you, such as meditation, journaling, arts and medicine, and even assist with a referral to a mental health professional. You may also want information about other care options, including integrative medicine, supportive palliative care or hospice care.

Ultimately, nurse navigators work with you to better understand your needs and to empower you to make informed decisions about your treatment options.

Education about your options

One of a nurse navigator’s main goals is to ensure that you and your family have all the information you need to make informed choices about your journey and treatment plan.

Nurse navigators educate patients and their families in many ways. They can:

• Educate you about your diagnosis
• Help you understand your diagnosis and next steps
• Explain your care team’s recommendations
• Help you understand why you may need certain services, such as dental care, before treatment
• Make sure you understand the phases of treatment and what each may involve
• Inform you about treatment side effects and how to manage them
• Let you know about other healthcare and community resources you may not be aware of or familiar with
• Assist with clinical trial information
• Research answers to questions you have

Support throughout the journey

In addition to clinical care, advocacy and education, your nurse navigator wants to ensure that you feel supported physically and emotionally during initial diagnosis, throughout treatment and into survivorship.

Nurse navigators get to know you and what services may offer the most help. They can connect you with:

• Community resources
• Fertility preservation services
• Integrative therapies, such as acupuncture and massage
• Mental health support
• Nutritional counseling
• Prehab or rehab support
• Social workers
• Support groups

Your nurse navigator is also with you throughout your cancer journey into survivorship, helping ensure you get continued screenings, have the resources necessary to attend follow-up visits and get care for long-term side effects of your treatments.