Lost in the Cancer Care System? Nurse Navigators Can Help

November 14, 2016
Lillie Shockney, MAS

Professor Lillie Shockney is a 2-time breast cancer survivor, a registered nurse, and Assistant Professor of Surgery at Johns Hopkins University. She is also the Administrative Director of Johns Hopkins Breast Center and of Johns Hopkins Cancer Survivorship Programs.  

A multidisciplinary care team is a group of oncology professionals who specialize in different areas of cancer care and who collaborate on a patient’s overall treatment plan. Having a multidisciplinary care team allows patients to receive care from a team that works together to provide the right treatment, in the right order, in the right setting, at the right time. Nurse navigators are relatively new members of the multidisciplinary care team who help patients navigate the health care system and their treatment plan. They work to ensure that care is coordinated among members of the cancer care team and to be a strong advocate for their patients. share on twitter  Nurse navigators also support survivorship care and can help prepare patients for life after treatment. People with advanced cancer can also work with a nurse navigator to meet their current goals and needs.

There are many models for patient navigation. Different nurse navigators work using different navigation models, which provides many options for patients. Regardless of the model, oncology nurse navigators are a valuable addition to the multidisciplinary cancer care team.

Major Discussion Points

  • The history of nurse navigators [1:41].

  • Responsibilities of nurse navigators in cancer care [2:55].

  • The main goal of a nurse navigator is to be an advocate for the patient [3:33].

  • The role of nurse navigators in survivorship care [4:47].

  • The role of nurse navigators in people with advanced cancer [5:10].

  • How patient navigation is put into practice [5:38].

  • Different models of nurse navigation [6:31].

This is a prerecorded audio podcast. It can be listened to online or downloaded to your computer. A transcript of this podcast is also available. For more information, visit the Cancer.Net podcast page.

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