CANCER CARE: THE HUMAN TOUCH

RWJBarnabas Health, together with Rutgers Cancer

Institute of New Jersey—the state’s patient’s home,” only NCI-Designated Comprehensive Silva says.

Cancer Center—provides Communicate

close-to-home access to the constantly. Th is latest treatment options. For more information, call 844.CANCERNJ or visit www.rwjbh.org/beatcancer. is essential in two ways. First, the nurse navigator is the central clearinghouse for information provided from the many specialists on a cancer patient’s care team—medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgical oncologists, social workers, nutritionists and more. Th e navigator can ensure that no aspects of treatment fall through the cracks and that the patient receives the highest quality of care. Second, the navigator can follow up CANCER CARE: to be sure a patient understands what’s happening. “Doctors do a great job of explaining, but oft en you can see the patient’s mind THE HUMAN TOUCH drift off as the person starts to worry about things like, ‘Who’s going to pick my kids up from school?’” Silva explains. “A navigator HOW ONCOLOGY NURSE NAVIGATORS HELP PATIENTS can talk to the patient later about what he or she understood and relay the necessary information over again in smaller bits so it’s

Patients who seek care through the social or medical—the navigator can help easier to process.” RWJBarnabas Health (RWJBH) the patient get the benefi t of resources from Set priorities. “Sometimes what feels Oncology Access Center have a throughout the health system.” urgent to a patient is not clinically urgent, big advantage: Th ey get connected to an When a patient makes an appointment but our nurse navigators have the ability oncology nurse navigator who acts as their with an RWJBH cancer provider, the to know what is truly time-sensitive,” problem-solver and supporter before, oncology nurse navigator will follow up Silva explains. “For example, recently a during and aft er treatment. Th e oncology with the patient the next day. “Th e navigator young man needed to see a specialist as nurse navigator becomes an important asks if there are any questions about the soon as possible. Based on the navigator’s member of the patient’s healthcare team upcoming appointment and goes through intervention, he was able to get in to see the and serves as his or her advocate while some of the specifi cs of what will happen,” doctor in one day.” compassionately supporting their physical, Silva says. Save time. Oft en, a patient needs emotional and spiritual needs from Th at’s just the beginning. Oncology several medical procedures—for example, diagnosis through survivorship. nurse navigators, who are located at each an echocardiogram and a port insertion

“When you choose RWJBarnabas Health RWJBH facility, also do the following: before chemotherapy treatment can begin. for your cancer care, you’re not only getting Identify possible barriers to treatment. A nurse navigator can arrange for multiple quality care, but someone to walk beside you Does the patient have fi nancial or appointments to be scheduled at the same on your treatment journey,” explains Jeanne insurance concerns? Does the patient have facility on the same day. “A navigator is key Silva, RN, Director, Nurse Navigation, family or friends who can provide support? to making sure all the pieces fi t together Oncology Services at RWJBH. “Moreover, Is there a transportation issue? Th e nurse and to minimizing the time a patient needs we coordinate all of our resources, so that navigator can identify and help with these to spend at a facility,” Silva says. if a patient has a problem—be it fi nancial, problems right away. “In one case, we “An oncology nurse navigator is a were able to critical part of a patient’s cancer care get a patient to team,” she continues. “He or she is the To contact the Oncology Access Center, see a specialist kind of person who can anticipate what’s call 844.CANCERNJ (844.226.2376). located 70 miles needed and make it happen—and who has a away from the relentless desire to help patients.”