Cancer Nurse Navigators
You never have to face cancer alone thanks in part to the nurse navigators at Cone Health. Lean on these registered nurses for guidance from your first appointments through treatment and survivorship. Your navigator is your advocate, educator, and care coordinator. With their help, you’ll have access to all the resources you need.
Types of Nurse Navigators
Depending on where you receive care at Cone Health, your nurse may be a specialized or general navigator.
In our cancer centers at Alamance Regional (Burlington) and Wesley Long Hospital (Greensboro), you may see a nurse navigator who focuses on:
If you get treatment at one of our cancer centers in Asheboro, High Point, Reidsville, or on Drawbridge Parkway (Greensboro), you’ll see a general nurse navigator. This team member has experience helping patients with many different types of cancer.
Meeting Your Navigator
For some cancers, you may meet your navigator right after an unusual imaging test result through our rapid diagnostic service or before you see a surgeon.
In other cases, you’ll connect after your case comes up in a tumor conference. During this meeting, doctors and other specialists discuss your diagnosis and plan your next steps.
If you have breast cancer or prostate cancer, you may meet your navigator and doctors in one visit. It takes place in our multidisciplinary clinic in Cone Health Cancer Center at Wesley Long Hospital in Greensboro.
In any case, your navigator will reach out, introduce themselves, and give you a direct phone number so you can call with questions or concerns.
How Your Navigator Supports You
At no cost to you, a nurse navigator will:
- Coordinate your appointments so you see the right specialists at the right time
- Explain your diagnosis and treatment options in a way that’s easy to understand
- Communicate with your doctors to keep your care team on the same page
- Provide educational materials to help you prepare for each stage of treatment
- Connect you with community resources, including Alight integrative care, for financial, practical, or emotional support
- Help you cope with the emotional challenges of cancer
- Assist with managing side effects and knowing when to contact your care team
- Answer your questions when you’re not sure who to contact
Navigators in Survivorship
When treatment ends, your nurse navigator’s role usually winds down. But you may meet a survivorship navigator for a one-time visit in Greensboro or Burlington. This visit focuses on:
- Your survivorship care plan, which summarizes your treatment and recommends follow-up services
- What to expect after treatment
- Programs, classes, and resources for life beyond cancer
