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With so many issues involved in a complicated disease, it’s important to have someone guide you. That’s the RN certified by The National Consortium of Breast Centers as having advanced knowledge in breast imaging and cancer care.
You will be paired with a Nurse Navigator who understands the latest diagnostic and treatment advances – and is trained to provide the emotional support that can make all the difference in your journey. With her skills and expertise, your Nurse Navigator can advocate for you in diagnosis and treatment.
A cancer diagnosis can be a scary and confusing experience. But care navigators at TriHealth’s Cancer & Blood Institute are there to help you through it.
“Navigators are a patient’s first line of contact following a diagnosis,” says Tina German, R.N., a certified breast patient navigator. “My job is to guide patients on their journey to survivorship.”
Here, German gives us an insider’s view of what a typical day can look like for a nurse navigator.
The first stop after diagnosis is typically meeting with a surgeon. German helps schedule this appointment and other follow-up imaging tests based on the physician’s care plan.
German attends the initial surgical consultation with the patient. She’s there to answer questions, share educational materials and help connect the patient with community resources.
Following mastectomy, German visits patients to ensure they have everything they need and that their follow-up appointment has been set. She can also reinforce postoperative instructions provided by floor nurses.
German attends a weekly Cancer Institute conference to discuss newly diagnosed cancers and best treatment options with a multidisciplinary team of cancer physicians and health providers. Surgeons then share these recommendations with the patient.
“Ultimately, the patient and their surgeon make the final decisions on their care,” German says. “But this process allows the patient to get multiple opinions without having to run all over town.”