The Emerging Role Of the Nurse Navigator inHead and Neck Cancer

Tammy J. Cass RN, BSNNurse NavigatorCenter for Head, Neck, Maxillofacial/Reconstructive Surgery

History of the Nurse Navigator Role

• 1990 Dr. Harold Freeman, Harlem Hospital New York

• 2001 The presidents Cancer Panel supported increased funding for the nurse navigator

• 2006 CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) funded 6 projects to assist patients in overcoming barriers in health care, utilizing nurse navigators

Educational Requirements

Individualized to each health system• St. John Providence health lists a BSN for minimum

education– Nurse Navigator training courses are available– Certification for Nurse Navigator– Academy of Oncology Nurse Navigators

Exactly what does a Nurse Navigator do all day??

• Very literally helps the patient navigate health care• Liaison to patients, physicians, & hospital departments• Coordinate appointments with providers• Support patient and their family with psychological &

Psychosocial stressors related to their diagnoses and treatment

• Promote interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork to achieve optimal clinical outcomes within effective time frame

• Provide education and support to SICU, Operating room, and hospital units regarding patient treatment.

• Follow up with patients and family at regular intervals prior to, during, and after surgery.

• On-call responsibilities for patient and hospital staff access

Evaluation of what the Nurse Navigator means to the Health System

• Increased patient and family over all satisfaction• Improved patient outcomes• Decreased patient and family anxiety• Decreased length of stay• Reduced treatment delays• Patient retention within the system• This translates into financial return on investment for the

institution

ReferencesHarold P. Freeman Patient Navigation institute. Patient Navigation Program. 2013. http://www.hpfreemanpni.org/the-program/

Cumberland Medical Center, programs and services; Nurse Navigator Program 2014. http://cmchealthcare.org/index.php

Freeman HP, Rodriguez RL. History and principles of patient navigation. Cancer. 2011; 117 (s15): 3537-3540

Commission on Cancer. Cancer Program Standards 2012: Ensuring Patient-Centered Care. Chicago, IL: American College of Surgeons; 2012. http://www.facs.org/cancer/coc/programstandards2012.pdf

Shockney L. Becoming a Breast Cancer Nurse Navigator. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2010

American Hospital Association. Summary View of Hospitals in the United States. Washington, DC: American Hospital Association;2012. http://www.ahadataviewer.com