>>>
>>> WHEN
>>> WHEN THE DIAGNOSIS IS CANCER IT CAN BE OVERWHELMING
AND SCARY.
AND SCARY. TREATMENT CAN INVOLVE SO MANY
MOVING PARTS.
MOVING PARTS. IF ONLY THERE WAS SOMEONE WHO
UNDERSTOOD YOUR INDIVIDUAL
CASE.
CASE.
CASE. A
CASE. A NURSE NAVIGATOR CAN MAKE THE
PROCESS SO MUCH SMOOTHER.
GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE LISTS
OF JOBS THAT NEED TO BE FILLED,
NURSE IS SOMEWHERE ALWAYS UP IN
THE TOP.
THE TOP.
THE TOP. IT'S NOT JUST ONE WORD; RIGHT?
THERE'S A LOT TO BE SAID FOR
THE NURSING INDUSTRY AND LOTS
OF SPECIFIC JOBS TO DO.
NURSE NAVIGATOR IS ONE OF THEM.
EXPLAIN THAT TO US.
>> AN ONCOLOGY NURSE NAVIGATOR
IS AN EXPERT CLINICIAN THAT
GUIDES PATIENTS THROUGH THE
CANCER JOURNEY.
CANCER JOURNEY. WE SERVE AS AN ADVOCATE AND A
POINT OF COMMUNICATION FOR
THESE PATIENTS.
THESE PATIENTS. >> SOMEONE IS THINKING THIS IS
WHAT I WANT TO DO FOR A CAREER.
WHAT ARE THOSE QUALIFICATIONS
WITH.
WITH.
WITH. >>
WITH. >> NURSE NAVIGATORS HAVE THREE
YEARS ONCOLOGY NURSE
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. WE ALSO HAVE CERTIFICATIONS
LIKE ONCOLOGY CERTIFIED NURSE
OR WE CAN BE ADVANCE PRACTICE
CERTIFIED SPECIALISTS.
CERTIFIED SPECIALISTS. WE CAN ALSO HAVE OTHER
CERTIFICATIONS IN OUR SPECIALTY
OF FIELD.
OF FIELD.
OF FIELD. >> A LOT OF US WHEN WE HAVE AN
ISSUE OR QUESTION WE'LL WANT TO
CALL THE DOCTOR AND TALK TO THE
DOCTOR BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO
BECAUSE YOU ARE THAT POINT
CONTACT PERSON.
CONTACT PERSON. >> WE ARE, YES.
WE ARE.
WE ARE.
WE ARE. >> YOU HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS.
YOU HELP PATIENTS UNDERSTAND
THEIR DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
OPTIONS.
OPTIONS.
OPTIONS. >> EDUCATING THE PATIENT ON
THEIR DIAGNOSIS.
THEIR DIAGNOSIS. MAKING SURE THEY UNDERSTAND THE
TREATMENT OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO
THEM AND GOING THROUGH EACH
STAGE OF THE JOURNEY WITH THEM.
>> REHABILITATION IS ONE THING.
YOU HAVE A THING CALLED
PREHABILITATION.
PREHABILITATION. >> WE SURE DO.
WHEN A CLINICIAN WILL ASSESS A
PATIENT AT THEIR BASELINE TO
SEE HOW THEY FUNCTION BEFORE
THEY EVEN START CANCER
TREATMENTS.
TREATMENTS. THEY WILL DO A THOROUGH
ASSESSMENT TO SEE THE BASELINE,
WHAT THE PATIENT'S DIAGNOSIS IS
AND POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS THAT
CANCER TREATMENTS MAY CAUSE.
THEY'LL DEVELOP A PLAN FOR THE
PATIENTS VERY INDIVIDUALIZED
AND MAYBE PROVIDE EDUCATION,
DIFFERENT TOOLS, THEY'LL MAKE
SURE THAT PATIENTS ARE EDUCATED
IF IT'S A BREAST CANCER
PATIENT.
PATIENT.
PATIENT. SURGERY, EXERCISES AND THINGS
LIKE THAT.
LIKE THAT. THEY'RE DEALING WITH THE
PROBLEMS BEFORE THEY BECOME
BEING PROBLEMS.
BEING PROBLEMS. >> WE'VE TALKED TO SOME OF YOUR
BREAST CANCER SURGEONS WHO WORK
WITH PLASTIC SURGEONS AS WELL.
IF YOU THINK RECONSTRUCTION IS
GOING TO BE PART OF THE DEAL AT
THE END OF THAT THEN THEY WORK
TOGETHER BEFORE ANYTHING GETS
STARTED.
STARTED.
STARTED. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. THE EXERCISE PORTION AND POST
SURGERY IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR
WHEN THEY GO NOR THE PLASTIC
SURGERY WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO
GET THE RADIATION TREATMENT
BECAUSE YOUR ARMS HAVE TO BE IN
CERTAIN POSITIONS AND THINGS
LIKE THAT.
LIKE THAT. YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THE
PATIENTS ARE FUNCTIONING TO THE
BEST ABILITY.
BEST ABILITY. AND THESE PROGRAMS WORK WITH
THE QUALITY OF LIFE.
THEY HELP WITH CANCER-RELATED
FATIGUE AND MAKE SURE THE
PATIENTS RECOVERY IS QUICKER.
>> YOU HAVE CANCER ARE SCARY
WORDS.
WORDS.
WORDS. THE OTHER THING THAT'S SCARY IS
HOW THEY'RE GOING TO PAY FOR
TREATMENT.
TREATMENT. YOU CAN HELP PEOPLE NAVIGATE
THAT TOO.
THAT TOO.
THAT TOO. >> WE BASICALLY MAKE SURE WHEN
WE MEET OUR PATIENTS THAT WE
IDENTIFY, A LOT OF TIMES IT IS
A FINANCIAL BARRIER.
WE CAN DO SEARCHES TO SEE WHAT
FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS THERE ARE
FOR PATIENTS.
FOR PATIENTS. IT MIGHT BE CO-PAY ASSISTANCE
PROGRAMS.
PROGRAMS.
PROGRAMS. OR SIMPLE THINGS LIKE
TRANSPORTATION TO APPOINTMENTS.
BUT WE HAVE GREAT RESOURCES
THROUGH THE AMERICAN CANCER
SOCIETY.
SOCIETY.
SOCIETY. >> WHEN SOMEONE IS GOING
THROUGH THIS, I HAVE SEVERAL
FRIENDS WHO HAVE DEALT WITH
BREAST CANCER.
BREAST CANCER. THEY DIDN'T WANT TO BURDEN
THEIR FRIENDS.
THEIR FRIENDS. THEY DIDN'T WANT TO FEEL LIKE
THEY WERE BURDENING THEIR
FAMILY.
FAMILY.
FAMILY. YOU'RE THE PERSON THEY CAN JUST
BE VULNERABLE WITH.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> THE OTHER PERSON THEY CAN BE
VULNERABLE WITH IS SOMEBODY
GOING THROUGH IT AS WELL OR
SOMEBODY ON THE OTHER SIDE.
YOU ALL HAVE A THING WHICH IS
SO AMAZING.
SO AMAZING. WHAT TYPES OF THINGS HAPPEN
THERE?
THERE?
THERE? >>
THERE? >> SO MANY RESOURCES FOR OUR
PATIENTS.
PATIENTS.
PATIENTS. THEY DO CLASSES.
ART CLASSES.
ART CLASSES. MEDITATION.
MEDITATION. YOGA.
YOGA.
YOGA. ART
YOGA. ART THERAPY.
ART THERAPY. BIBLE STUDY SPANISH CLASSES AND
SO MUCH MORE.
IT'S SUCH A WELCOMING
ENVIRONMENT WHERE PATIENTS CAN
SIT WITH THEIR PIERS AND CARE
GIVERS AND JUST RELAX AND
FORGET THEY HAVE CANCER AND
ENJOY THE FREE SERVICES
PROVIDED FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
>> I HAPPEN TO KNOW THERE'S A
KITCHEN ON THE OTHER SIDE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I FOUND IN THE
CUP BOARD?
CUP BOARD? I FOUND SOME WINE.
>> OH, YOU DID?
>> THEY CAN DO THAT THERE TOO.
>> THEY ENJOY PARTIES.
>> THEY KNOW HOW TO CELEBRATE
LIFE.
LIFE.
LIFE. I'M
LIFE. I'M GOING TO END WITH YOU HAVE
AN ACCENT, OBVIOUSLY.
WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
>> SCOTLAND.
>> SCOTLAND. >> SCOTLAND FOREVER.
>> FREEDOM.
>> FREEDOM. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND THANKS FOR WHAT YOU DO.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> FOR MORE INFORMATION ON
MEMORIAL HERMANN CANCER
CENTERS.
CENTERS.