Implementing the role of patient-navigator nurse at a university hospital centre

Abstract

A profile of the role and functions of an oncology patient-navigator nurse (OPN) and the preliminary phases to implementing this role within a team specializing in oncology are first presented. This is followed by a qualitative study that provides a descriptive assessment for implementing an initial OPN in the head and neck oncology area of a university hospital centre (UHC) with a supraregional model for oncology. Three groups of stakeholders (individuals with cancer and families, caregivers, network partners) were interviewed on three occasions: before, during and after implementation. The results show that this new role can be integrated within a team specializing in oncology. The beneficial effects of this role on the process of adaptation to illness, interdisciplinary work and continuity of care are described. Several recommendations are formulated, one being the importance of situating the implementation process from an organizational change perspective.

An integrative framework to support the assessment function of Quebec’s pivot nurses in oncology

“…Finally, the Calgary model (Wright & Leahey, 2007) highlights this importance by placing enormous value on family dynamics. In other words, the assessment process seems to be built around the implementation of a nurse-patient-family therapeutic relationship in order to enhance the empowerment of the individual and their family in adapting to the illness (Fillion et al, 2006(Fillion et al, , 2012Jennings-Sanders et al, 2005;Seek & Hogle, 2007).…”

“…The assessment promotes empowerment and supports problem solving (Fillion et al, 2006) by guiding the teaching of self-care strategies (Bowman & Grim, 2008). The assessment also helps to accurately determine missing or incorrect information (Melinyshyn & Wintonic, 2006), and this has a positive e ect on patients' compliance with treatment in addition to having a favourable impact on their quality of life and even cancer survival (Goodwin et al, 2003).…”

“…It is the case for the elderly, low-income and poorly educated people (Jennings-Sanders et al, 2005), as well as individuals living with lung cancer (Moore, 2002;Skrutkowski et al, 2008), ENT cancer (Fillion et al, 2009) and neurological cancer (Jackson, 2008). Finally, while some authors report that needs assessments must also include the patient's loved ones (Fillion et al, 2009;Wilcox & Bruce, 2010), in reality, very few of them have their needs assessed (Fillion et al, 2006).…”

“…The assessment can thus include the sociodemographic characteristics of referred individuals (Fawcett et al, 2007), their history and physical health condition (Jennings-Sanders et al, 2005;Liebert, et al, 2003), as well as mental health (Fawcett et al, 2007;Fillion et al 2006), the structure and functioning of their family and social network (Fawcett et al, 2007), the existence of nancial or functional problems (Fawcett et al, 2007), their understanding of their disease and treatment (Campbell et al, 2010;Goodwin, Satish, Anderson, Nattinger, & Freeman, 2003;Skrutkowski et al, 2008), and the resources they have to overcome the challenge and adapt to the disease (Campbell et al, 2010).…”

“…These professionals have similar functions but their jobs have di erent names: Nurse Navigator (Bowman & Grim 2008), Nurse Case Manager (Fawcett, Schutt, Gall, Cruz, & Woodford, 2007), Professional Cancer Navigator , Patient Navigator Nurse (Fillion et al, 2006), Oncology Nurse Navigator (Hébert & Fillion, 2011), and Cancer Nurse Coordinator (Jackson, 2008).…”