Deborah Christensen, RN, BSN, HNB-BC

Navigators share the role of patient advocacy and patient empowerment by promoting patient rights, and the way of doing it is with the patient, not for the patient.

Navigators need to advance their knowledge of genomics and maintain competence with the continuing advancements in order to provide education to patients and their families on the impact of genomics in their cancer care so they can make the best informed decisions.

The authors present a case demonstrating the critical role of nurse navigators in community outreach and ultimately early detection and education for patients.

Treating cancer with oral medications that are taken at home sounds like a great idea, and it is, once adherence barriers are addressed. Likewise, years ago it was unthinkable that surviving cancer would have a downside, but because late and long-term effects of cancer treatments were not adequately addressed, survivorship quality was suboptimal. The good news is that if survivorship issues can be resolved, so can the problems associated with oral therapy adherence.

Regardless of their career path, nurses can advance in their profession through certification and education by attending conferences and educational events, pursuing degrees, and participating in evidence-based research.