Dear Navigators,
We’re gearing up for our first meeting of 2017! The Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+) is venturing out west to Phoenix, AZ, this month to host our West Coast Regional Meeting. With the momentum of the recently launched AONN+-sponsored initiatives of metrics and certification, this meeting is shaping up to be one of our best and most robust offerings. We are proud to be joined by expert nurse and patient navigators, physicians, certified tumor registrars, administrators, and others in the oncology community to lead discussions on an array of important topics such as immunotherapeutics, Commission on Cancer standards, and the evolving role of navigators, to name a few.
A topic that will be explored in depth is the newly announced national navigation program metrics. The AONN+ Standardized Metrics Team has worked tirelessly over the past year on this crucial initiative with a goal of developing a universal measuring system for use in all navigation programs across the country. It is our hope you will employ the metrics in your own program and track results. With these metrics, we have a powerful tool to prove the value of navigation, report results, and ultimately enrich the literature with data. With your participation, we will continue to learn from each other by obtaining evidence-based data from our programs.
Another source of pride for us at AONN+ is the completion of our certification exams for nurse and patient navigators. This initiative was launched last year in support of our navigation community to recognize the core competencies necessary for achieving excellence in navigation. At the West Coast Regional Meeting, attendees can register and complete the certification exam. Navigators attempting the exam are tested in 8 domains to include Community Outreach and Prevention, Coordination of Care/Care Transitions, Patient Advocacy/Patient Empowerment, Psychosocial Support Services/Assessment, Survivorship/End of Life, Professional Roles and Responsibilities, Operations Management/Organizational Development/Healthcare Economics, and Research/Quality/Performance Improvement. On behalf of all of us at AONN+, I strongly encourage you to enhance your career in navigation by obtaining this certification.
As always, thank you for your readership and participation in the navigation movement. Together, we will improve outcomes for our patients. I hope to see you in Phoenix!
Sincerely,
Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, ONN-CG
Editor-in-Chief, JONS; Program Director, AONN+
University Distinguished Service Professor of Breast Cancer; Administrative Director, the Johns Hopkins Breast Center; Director, Cancer Survivorship Programs at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins; Professor, JHU School of Medicine, Depts of Surgery and Oncology; Cofounder, Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Managing Cancer at Work
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
