Janelle Wagner, RN, OCN, has been an oncology nurse for almost 20 years and an oncology nurse navigator for 5 years.

®, Wagner, Senior Manager of Patient Navigation Program for Community Sites, Seattle Cancer Alliance, discusses some of the more difficult components associated with the role. Among them, she mentions the struggle to define clear boundaries, navigate the health care system without trying to fix it, and understanding that patients are now a part of your team.

“Setting boundaries [is difficult],” Wagner explained. “Oncology nurse navigation is a newer field, and there are many different opinions on what the job entails. Being able to set those boundaries and kind of sticking with your standard work to be able to best serve the patient [is crucial]. The challenge is understanding [that] our health care system is so complex, and that you really need to be the point person for that patient to navigate through that system [rather than] trying to fix the system.”

She added that, “If somebody is going to go into this field, they need [to] make sure that they have good leadership, and good pathways for the position. It is really questioning [the following]: what does standard work look like? Who is my team? When you are navigating a patient through the whole continuum of care, it could be across many different organizations. [You need to understand] who that team is and how to utilize [your] skills to help the patient go through the system.”

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Janelle Wagner, RN, OCN, Senior Manager of Patient Navigation Program for Community Sites, highlights some challenges commonly associated with nurse navigation, and how nurses can overcome them. 

Setting Boundaries Can Be a Challenge for Nurse Navigators

Confidence and oncology knowledge are crucial skills for effective nurse navigators, according to Janelle Wagner, RN, OCN.

®, Wagner, senior manager of Patient Navigation Program for Community Sites, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, explained what skills are necessary for an oncology nurse to become an effective nurse navigator and offered advice for any prospective navigators seeking a career shift.

“Being a nurse navigator requires somebody who has a broad understanding of oncology care. [This is someone] who has worked in many different aspects of oncology, from inpatient to infusion to the clinic, [experience with] radiation oncology is helpful, [as well as] surgical oncology. Someone who understands the bigger picture of how all aspects of care happen—rather than just one discipline.”

“In terms of implementation, it's really bringing a full team together. When looking at oncology care, you're looking at multiple disciplines: surgical oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, etc. It’s really [about] bringing that whole team together to see what the current state is. How do the patients currently flow through the system? Is it working? Where are the gaps; where does the patient get kind of lost in the system? How can the nurse navigator be that person to help? Again, it's working with the existing system to hold that patient's hand and get them in to the right places and the right timeframe.”

An expert from Seattle Cancer Care Alliance highlights key skills in nurse navigation. 

Janelle Wagner, RN, OCN

Articles

Setting Boundaries Can Be a Challenge for Nurse Navigators

Confidence Is Key in Oncology Nurse Navigation