Any Oncology Nurse Navigators? Please share your stories with me!

[touchhealth]

Hello,

I'm about to start nursing school this Spring () and have always been interested in Oncology. I have been volunteering my time as a massage therapist at a local hospital, and really adore working with the cancer patients...

Anyways, I'm also an educator at heart and I am interested in the Nurse Navigator role. Is anyone out there working as an Oncology Nurse Navigator? Could you please share with me how you came to this position? Did it require any additional training or certifications? Do you enjoy your work? Typical day?

Would love to hear your stories about being a nurse navigator.

Thanks!

[touchhealth]

79 views, no replies?

Should I be phrasing my questions differently? My posting in the Oncology forum never seem to garner any responses and I'm not sure why....

All the best to you!

[RNing4God]

"Nurse Navigator" is a newer term. Try searching Case Coordinator or Care Coordinator and you might get more hits. Often we are a hybrid of case management and hem/onc nurses. I came across my position by accident, someone was going out on medical leave and I wanted to change from night shift to day position, so I thought I'd try it out. I have fallen in love with the position and all that it has to offer for the patients and families . Typically we're M-F 8 hour days. There are many more navigators/coordinators for adults and pediatrics has finally caught the wave. You'll see more of us now. For the peds population, many smaller hospitals use the insurance's catastropic case managers to help the patient find their way trough the course of treatment above and beyond direct medical care or help advocate to the medical team

[touchhealth]

Thank you so much, that's a good tip. I've been very inspired by the Nurse Navigators at the Oncology Institute attached to the hospital I volunteer with. I didn't realized this was a newer title though. It's commonly used where I am in the SF Bay area.

Very helpful,

Thanks!