When a patient is diagnosed with cancer and is looking to start treatment, they will most likely be facing a lot of medical decisions like having radiation, surgery and/or chemotherapy. Other kinds of emotional adversities can be just as complicated to deal with as medical treatment side-effects.
Patients don’t have to stand alone in their treatment. Many people, like Oncology Nurse Navigators (also called an ONN), can support and advocate for patients during cancer treatment. This article will cover the benefits of having an Oncology Nurse Navigator and why having an Oncology Nurse Navigator can make patients’ treatments more effective.
What is an Oncology Nurse Navigator?
An Oncology Nurse Navigator is a nurse who supports the patient who was diagnosed with cancer. They have the clinical knowledge to give personalized health assistance and education to cancer patients. Navigators can help patients better understand the effectiveness of treatments, making individuals more likely to follow through with their treatment or after-treatment care plans.
Overall, the goal of an Oncology Nurse Navigator is to make patients feel more informed about their treatment and diagnosis. This knowledge can reduce cancer morbidity and lower common barriers that unguided patients often encounter during treatment. This instruction decreases the overall cost of treatment because Oncology Nurse Navigators help patients and providers avoid mistakes that could lead to extra medical services. They also generally lower the likelihood that patients will need to utilize a hospital’s emergency services, which are often expensive.
Getting an Oncology Nurse Navigator has Many Benefits
The goal of an Oncology Nurse Navigator is to help patients with treatment, making sure it’s as effective as possible. Hopefully, this assistance will reduce the length of treatment and increase the likelihood of its success.
Specifically, there are three major ways a Nurse Navigator assists patients:
Number 1: Help with Coordinating Care
It can be challenging for a patient to navigate their medical treatment if they are also trying to manage how they feel and the side effects of treatment.
An ONN will be a consistent presence during treatment. Their role is to help patients understand and follow treatment protocols even as patients move through different phases of the healing process. This assistance includes helping patients face challenges they might encounter in the hospital and at home. ONN’s help organize emotional and physical support that the patients may need.
Number 2: Help with Emotional Support
If patients have an ONN, they won’t simply be a clinical resource. The ONN helps patient’s work through personal and emotional issues in addition to handling the myriad of feelings about the diagnosis. The ONN can also refer you to a Cancer Coach. The Cancer Coach is there for patients to lean on and offer patients help through this challenging time. Oncology Nurse Navigators, Cancer Coaches, and patients often form deep lasting connections that extend past treatment.
An OON will celebrate with their patient, walk through difficult news, and will stand up for their patient when they need extra support and care. All the while, they’ll be there to help their patient clearly communicate specific needs to other medical staff and doctors.
Number 3: Have an In-Hospital Advocate
An Oncology Nurse Navigator has a unique perspective in the medical field. They are both a licensed clinician and a strong patient advocate. This role makes them an excellent assistant for doctors as treatment plans move forward, ensuring they fit in the patient’s lifestyle and needs. Patients can rely on and depend on their ONN throughout their hospital visits and beyond.
Knowing and Addressing Depression in Cancer Patients
Being depressed after getting a cancer diagnosis is a normal part of many individuals’ grief responses. Having an ONN and a Cancer Coach can help patients feel less alone. They can help teach family members how to respond when their loved one has cancer and will direct the patient to available mental health resources, like licensed counselors, when needed.
Nurse Navigators Offer Support for Cancer Patients Through Life Changes
In conclusion, an ONN is going to be there for their patient through the trials of cancer treatment. As patients deal with emotions that may crop up during treatment, an ONN can be an advocate to offer emotional assistance and a pillar of support through the processes.
An ONN will be there in the hospital when patients are not able to advocate for themselves and they can also help patients better understand their treatment plans in an effort to increase the likelihood of their success. Overall, an ONN can be a great resource for patients who have been diagnosed with cancer and are seeking treatment.
Sources:
https://www.ons.org/make-difference/advocacy-and-policy/position-statements/ONN
https://www.cancer.net/blog/2017-05/3-things-you-should-know-about-oncology-nurses
