Anybody who’s gone by means of the most cancers journey can let you know: It’s not simply the therapy that’s laborious to undergo. Whilst you’re making an attempt to handle signs and survive, you’re additionally paying payments, making appointments, and getting groceries. Coping with a job and household, on high of the medical particulars, can take an enormous emotional toll. That’s the place a most cancers nurse navigator is available in.
Most hospital techniques have a nurse navigator, together with UVA Well being. The position helps most cancers sufferers set up their healthcare. However now we’re taking it a step additional. We’re rolling out a nurse navigator program that gives custom-made help for every most cancers kind.
Cancers behave in a wide range of methods. That’s why medical doctors concentrate on completely different cancers. With this enhanced program, navigators additionally concentrate on particular cancers. This permits them to present personalised steering. They know methods to assist the affected person perceive their situation and what comes subsequent.
Catherine Terrell, RN, medical and operational director with the UVA Most cancers Middle, shared with us how this new program will make a distinction in sufferers’ lives.
What’s a nurse navigator?
Nurse navigators are affected person guides. They assist sufferers perceive their analysis, therapy choices, and potential unwanted side effects. Additionally they assist with scheduling appointments, coordinating care, and managing the challenges of most cancers. The nurse navigator actually is a connection level between the affected person and the bigger well being system.
Why is UVA Most cancers Middle increasing its nurse navigator program?
As an NCI-designated Complete Most cancers Middle, we try to cut back the burden of most cancers for sufferers throughout Virginia. A part of that features enhancing the affected person expertise from no matter method we are able to.
Now we have a number of many years of analysis exhibiting the worth of navigators. The American Most cancers Society says 91% of sufferers worth having a navigator.
At UVA Well being, we’ve had a breast most cancers nurse navigator and a radiology nurse navigator for a few years. They do a improbable job. However we needed to develop that care to each most cancers kind. By having most cancers navigators who focus on every most cancers kind, we provide a extremely personalised stage of care. This units us aside from most different hospitals.
Do nurse navigators have particular coaching?
Most cancers Nurse Navigators by the Numbers:
24 hours – the time from referral to contact
3 days – 1st appointment scheduled
10 enterprise days – 1st appointment occurs
How lengthy the navigator stays with you? For the entire journey, nonetheless lengthy it takes.
Sure. Our program relies on one of the best practices and requirements set by the Oncology Nursing Society. This implies we ensure the navigators have the data and coaching to:
- Educate sufferers and assist them make knowledgeable decisions
- Work with medical doctors to make the care course of clean
- Give emotional help to sufferers and households
How does a most cancers affected person get a navigator?
Nurse navigators attain out to sufferers inside 24 hours of a referral. Inside 3 days, they’ve a extra in-depth dialog and get their first physician appointment scheduled.
Want Help Throughout Most cancers Therapy?
UVA Well being presents counseling, help teams, diet, monetary assist, and extra.
What occurs throughout that first name?
The navigator gives basic training on the affected person’s analysis. Additionally they discover out key issues that would affect the affected person’s potential to get care, like:
Doing this helps us arrange a help system for the affected person. This might embrace:
The navigator’s job is to uncover and help something that will get in the best way of a most cancers affected person getting the therapy they want.
Do sufferers must pay for a most cancers nurse navigator?
No. Sufferers aren’t liable for paying out of pocket for a nurse navigator.
What occurs subsequent?
We’re presently in part 1 of our nurse navigator mannequin. This consists of well timed entry to care and eradicating boundaries to care. We are going to develop this system in part 2 to incorporate the nurse navigator staying with every of their sufferers all through their complete most cancers journey. They’ll function a single level of contact, from analysis to survivorship or palliative care. This may give sufferers constant help and steering.