What to do with screening for distress scores? Integrating descriptive data into clinical practice.

Objective: Implementation of routine Screening for Distress constitutes a major change in cancer care, with the aim of achieving person-centered care.

Method: Using a cross-sectional descriptive design within a University Tertiary Care Hospital setting, 911 patients from all cancer sites were screened at the time of their first meeting with a nurse navigator who administered a paper questionnaire that included: the Distress Thermometer (DT), the Canadian Problem Checklist (CPC), and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS).

Results: Results showed a mean score of 3.

Core areas of practice and associated competencies for nurses working as professional cancer navigators.

Unlabelled: Fillion et al. (2012) recently designed a conceptual framework for professional cancer navigators describing key functions of professional cancer navigation.

Purpose: Building on this framework, this study defines the core areas of practice and associated competencies for professional cancer navigators.

Professional navigation: a comparative study of two Canadian models.

For many cancer control programs, cancer navigation has emerged as a specific strategy to improve access to supportive care and the patients' experience of cancer care. This study contributes to a better understanding of professional navigation by comparing two Canadian models: Quebec's Pivot Nurse in Oncology (PNO) and Nova Scotia's Cancer Patient Navigator (CPN). Qualitative interviews were conducted with professional navigators, patients and family members, front-line staff, physicians and health administrators (interviews: n = 49; focus groups: n = 10).

Professional navigation framework: elaboration and validation in a Canadian context.

Purpose/objectives: To elaborate, refine, and validate the professional navigation framework in a Canadian context.

Research Approach: A two-step approach consisting of a qualitative evaluative design and formal consultations.

Setting: Two applications of professional navigators in Quebec and Nova Scotia, Canada.

[The process of integrating oncology nurse navigators into joint (hospital-community) local teams].

Implementing oncology nurse navigators or IPOs (which stands for "infirmière pivot en oncologie") is a key element of the Québec Cancer Control Program in order to improve the continuity of care. This qualitative study describes the process of implementing IPOs in teams working both in hospitals and in the community. Several groups of stakeholders (IPOs, physicians, nurses, various health workers, administrators, people with cancer and their families) described how they perceive the functions and effects related to this implementation.

Professional patient navigation in head and neck cancer.

Objectives: To discuss professional cancer navigation roles, models, implementation process and outcomes of patients and families dealing with head and neck cancers. One specific research is presented as an illustration.

Data Sources: Published scientific papers, research review articles, implementations studies.

Implementing the role of patient-navigator nurse at a university hospital centre.

A profile of the role and functions of an oncology patient-navigator nurse (OPN) and the preliminary phases to implementing this role within a team specializing in oncology are first presented. This is followed by a qualitative study that provides a descriptive assessment for implementing an initial OPN in the head and neck oncology area of a university hospital centre (UHC) with a supraregional model for oncology. Three groups of stakeholders (individuals with cancer and families, caregivers, network partners) were interviewed on three occasions: before, during and after implementation.