Patient-centered communication is effective communication that considers the information needs of patients and is sensitive to socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.
Gone are the days that health insurance covers all of the expenses associated with cancer diagnosis and treatment. Though screening tests remain free without a deductible or co-payment, once someone has a suspicious finding, there will be out of pocket expenses to be incurred by the patient.
It was a delight to visit the North Texas AONN+ chapter in May to see how well they are doing and to rejuvenate with the excitement of peer to peer support. If the enthusiasm and energy from the conversations throughout the room could be bottled, fatigue would be cured!
I hope that all nurse navigators have the opportunity to attend tumor boards as well as have a pivotal role in coordinating them! Whether it is an organ specific tumor board (like breast, colorectal, lung, prostate) or a tumor board where everyone brings all of their cancer specific cases for a multidisciplinary review, you have a key role in these forums.
Dealing with ambiguity is a part of every patient navigator’s job. You may often be asked to make decisions without having all of the available information.
