Navigation in Gynecologic Oncology and the Roles of Nurse Navigator

Cancer is a disease affecting the individual and his/her family in terms of physical, emotional, social and economical aspects, and also changing the lives, expectations and values of the patient and his/her immediate people. the patient who is shocked during the process of cancer diagnosis has to both espouse the diagnosis and schedule own appointments related to treatment. patients require a guiding professional to orientate positively and to perceive the situation correctly which they are in through this challenging crisis. the concept of nurse navigator has been developed in recent years to achieve this goal. some cancer centers in canada and usa have commissioned oncology nurse navigators in order to meet the needs of care of cancer patients. the mission of oncology nurse navigator includes roles such as guiding patients related to treatment, and advocacy. furthermore, oncology nurse navigator ensures the care given is more qualified and holistic. another important responsibility of the nurse navigator is collaborating with the other health care workers. the participation of the oncology nurse navigator in the care leads to earlier intervention for complications and side effects of cancer/cancer treatment. nurse navigators, affecting the abilities of the patients to fight with the disease positively and guiding them about cancer symptoms, are important members of health care team.