The role of oncology nurse navigators in the outcomes of surgical patients with head and neck cancer.

OBJECTIVES: to assess oncology nurse navigators' performance in surgical patients with head and neck cancer. METHODS: this observational, retrospective cohort study analyzed oncology nurse navigators' performance, comparing the intervention group (monitored by a nurse navigator) and control group (institutional flow). RESULTS: a total of 160 patients were included: 40 in the intervention group and 120 in the control group. The intervention group showed a 28-day reduction in speech-language pathology visits, 26 in psychology visits, 31 in social services visits, and ten in CT scan visits. The intervention group also saw a 53% reduction in emergency room visits and a 20% reduction in "Hello, Nurse" calls. CONCLUSIONS: oncology nurse navigators' performance contributed to reducing the time for surgery, staging tests, care with a multidisciplinary team, better adherence to treatment, reduction of "Hello, Nurse" calls and visits to the emergency room, thus confirming oncology nurse navigators' relevance in the oncology care center.