Neuro-Oncology Nurse Navigation: Developing the Role for a Unique Patient Population

Navigation seeks to assess and address barriers that hinder a patient’s access to care. With the success of the nurse navigation program at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center, leadership expanded navigation to neuro-oncology. The purpose of this article is to describe this population’s unique needs and the effect of nurse navigation. Although the navigation role maintains integrity with regard to scope of practice, specialized navigation strategies are tailored to the neuro-oncology population and are different from other disease sites.