A Guide to Implementing Best Practices in Person ... - cancerview.ca

Navigation: A Guide to Implementing Person-Centred Care September 2012Providing Emotional and Supportive CareThis domain comprises competency standards that reflect the ability of navigators toidentify multiple physical, psychological, social, sexual and spiritual needs of clientsthroughout the continuum of cancer care. It is also about navigators’ abilities to implementevidence-based supportive care interventions in a flexible and responsivemanner in the context of a collaborative interdisciplinary approach to care. The abilityto identify sources of distress and to help patients manage and cope with such distressis a critical dimension of the navigator role. To provide emotional and supportive carerequires exploration of fears and anxieties about disease progression, mortality, dying,body image or sexual health. Screening for Distress is a method of rapidly identifyingpatients with psychosocial distress. For more information about the implementation ofScreening for Distress, refer to Integrating Screening for Distress, The 6th Vital Sign inChapter 5.Competencies in this area demonstrate the personal, collaborative and therapeuticapproach, which enhances the effectiveness navigators. These competencies speak tothe critical importance of interpersonal transactions.In this domain, professional navigators:• establish therapeutic relationships with patients, families and other caregivers tofacilitate coping with sensitive issues;• facilitate patient and family decision-making regarding complex treatment, symptommanagement and end-of-life care;• assess sources of psychosocial and spiritual distress and plan appropriate management;• engage in therapeutic conversations, exploring fears and anxieties about disease,treatment, side-effects and outcomes;• refer patients and families to appropriate support services;• perform comprehensive and timely assessment to identify current and potentialneeds and concerns;• foster coping skills using existing supports and resources to maintain or improveeach patient’s quality of life;• facilitate and support each patient’s ability to make decisions, solve problems, andset and prioritize goals;• collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to optimize health outcomes and accessservices and resources.16