Muzio Kaitlin, Hiemstra Jenna, Morton-Ninomiya Maya, Toameh Dana, Nicholson Emma, Isaac Kathryn V
School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada.
Healthcare (Basel). 2025 Jul 2;13(13):1585. doi: 10.3390/healthcare13131585.
: Many Canadians experience challenges navigating the healthcare system during their cancer care. Nurse navigators are uniquely positioned to support patients with their clinical expertise in oncology and patient care, but they have not been widely implemented. This study aimed to examine the impact of nurse navigators and barriers to successful implementation of a nurse navigator program. : MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched for articles examining the role of nurse navigators in cancer care. The data was extracted on study design, patient characteristics, nurse navigators' responsibilities, outcomes, barriers to success, and recommendations for implementing nurse navigator programs. Content analysis was used to identify common themes. : Of 1787 articles identified, 44 articles met the inclusion criteria and underwent data extraction. Nurse navigator responsibilities included patient education, psychosocial support, clinical assessment, care coordination, patient advocacy, and improving workflows. Most studies reported significant benefits from nurse navigator programs, including patient-centered care, satisfaction with the healthcare system, reduced patient distress, healthcare provider support, and enhanced patient monitoring. Barriers included a lack of understanding of the role, overwhelmed nurse navigators, and inefficient healthcare system workflows. Recommendations for future nurse navigator programs include providing personalized support to patients, encouraging integrated healthcare teams, and permanent funding. : Nurse navigator programs improve cancer patients' experiences and the efficiency of cancer care delivery. Implementation necessitates integration into the healthcare team and longitudinal financial and professional support of nurse navigators.
许多加拿大人在癌症治疗期间体验到在医疗系统中导航的挑战。护士导航员凭借其在肿瘤学和患者护理方面的临床专业知识，处于独特的位置来支持患者，但他们尚未得到广泛实施。本研究旨在探讨护士导航员的影响以及护士导航员项目成功实施的障碍。：检索了MEDLINE、EMBASE和科学网数据库中关于护士导航员在癌症护理中作用的文章。提取了关于研究设计、患者特征、护士导航员的职责、结果、成功障碍以及实施护士导航员项目的建议的数据。采用内容分析法来确定共同主题。：在识别出的1787篇文章中，44篇文章符合纳入标准并进行了数据提取。护士导航员的职责包括患者教育、心理社会支持、临床评估、护理协调、患者代言以及改善工作流程。大多数研究报告称护士导航员项目有显著益处，包括以患者为中心的护理、对医疗系统的满意度、减轻患者痛苦、医疗服务提供者的支持以及加强患者监测。障碍包括对该角色缺乏理解、护士导航员不堪重负以及医疗系统工作流程低效。对未来护士导航员项目的建议包括为患者提供个性化支持、鼓励整合医疗团队以及提供长期资金。：护士导航员项目改善了癌症患者的体验以及癌症护理服务的效率。实施需要融入医疗团队以及对护士导航员的长期财务和专业支持。
