Denver Health offers oncology nurse navigation (ONN) services to our new oncology patients. The oncology nurse navigator program started in January of 2023, and is based on the Oncology Nurse Navigation Competencies and Professional Practice Framework (Christensen & Cantril, 2018) developed by the Oncology Nursing Society. The focus of the ONN role is to ensure smooth coordination of oncology referrals and care while decreasing barriers to care that are specific to the cancer diagnosis. This results in better patient outcomes.
As part of this role, the ONN reviews the referral process to ensure all requested staging is complete and records are available for productive first visits. The nurse navigator contacts the patient to ensure they understand their diagnosis, treatment options, appointments and ensure they have an established primary care provider within Denver Health to better access resources. In addition, the oncology nurse navigator acts as a patient advocate, and educator, providing tailored educational information on diagnosis, treatments, and oncology support services.
In addition, the ONN tracks external referrals, acting as a liaison and ensuring our patients are appropriately accessing care through outside institutions.
Stefani Bender-Przybylski, MSN, RN/Oncology Nurse Navigator
The ONN acts as the director of the Cancer Resource Center, on the fourth floor of Pavilion L, adjacent to the infusion center. A few of the resources secured since the inception of the position are free books through Book Give, LLC, for patients and staff; free wigs through EBeauty, Inc., for patients experiencing hair loss secondary to illness and cancer treatments; and through Project Bell, an end of treatment bell, for patients to experience the ringing of the bell ceremony. The resource center is stocked with educational materials on different malignancies and resources to support cancer patients and their caregivers. The plan is to continue to expand the Cancer Resource Center to ensure the most up to date information is available to educate our patients and empower them to make the most informed decisions for their cancer care and promote better patient satisfaction and outcomes.
References
Christensen, D., & Cantril, C. (Eds.) (2018). Oncology nurse navigation: Delivering patient-centered care across the continuum (2nd ed.).