Nurse Navigator Course

Lesson 1 • Professional Standards and Certification

Reviews national competency standards and certification pathways for navigators. Motivates ongoing professional development and credentialing.

Lesson 2 • Role Definition and Scope of Practice

Defines navigator responsibilities versus other clinical roles. Clarifies boundaries that protect patients and practitioners.

Lesson 3 • History and Evolution of Navigation

Traces nurse navigation from oncology origins to broad chronic-disease application. Provides context for understanding current scope and future direction.

Lesson 1 • Motivational Interviewing in Navigation

Applies motivational interviewing to support behavior change in patients facing complex diagnoses. Builds on therapeutic communication skills introduced earlier.

Lesson 2 • Principles of Therapeutic Communication

Introduces core verbal and nonverbal communication techniques used in navigation encounters. Establishes rapport-building as the foundation of patient trust.

Lesson 3 • Communicating Across Cultural Differences

Addresses cultural humility, interpreter use, and culturally responsive messaging. Prepares navigators to serve linguistically and culturally diverse populations.

Lesson 4 • Difficult Conversations and Emotional Support

Equips navigators to lead conversations about prognosis, treatment refusal, and end-of-life options. Integrates emotional support techniques with clinical accuracy.

Lesson 1 • Social Determinants of Health Screening

Teaches structured screening for housing, food security, transportation, and financial barriers. Positions social determinants as central navigation targets.

Lesson 2 • Psychosocial and Emotional Screening

Introduces validated tools for distress, depression, and anxiety screening in navigator workflows. Links psychosocial findings to referral and support planning.

Lesson 3 • Building the Navigation Care Plan

Synthesizes assessment data into a prioritized, patient-centered navigation care plan. Demonstrates documentation standards and goal-setting with patients.

Lesson 1 • Referral Management and Community Linkage

Teaches systematic referral processes and community resource matching for patient needs. Builds a practical resource directory and referral tracking system.

Lesson 2 • Understanding the Healthcare Continuum

Maps care settings from prevention through palliative care and their interdependencies. Provides the structural knowledge needed for effective coordination.

Lesson 3 • Managing Care Transitions Safely

Addresses high-risk transition points such as hospital discharge and specialist referral. Applies evidence-based transition models to reduce readmission.

Lesson 4 • Multidisciplinary Team Collaboration

Defines navigator roles within tumor boards, care conferences, and interdisciplinary rounds. Builds skills for assertive, professional team communication.

Lesson 1 • Patient Assistance and Copay Programs

Surveys pharmaceutical assistance, foundation grants, and copay support programs. Teaches application processes and eligibility navigation for patients.

Lesson 2 • Connecting Patients to Financial Counseling

Defines when and how to refer patients to financial counselors and social workers. Reinforces the navigator's coordination role without overstepping scope.

Lesson 3 • Health Coverage Fundamentals

Reviews public and private insurance structures, eligibility, and benefit types relevant to navigation. Enables navigators to explain coverage to patients accurately.

Lesson 1 • Recognizing and Escalating Clinical Deterioration

Trains navigators to identify warning signs requiring urgent clinical escalation. Defines escalation protocols and communication with the clinical team.

Lesson 2 • Reading and Applying Clinical Guidelines

Teaches navigators to locate, interpret, and apply evidence-based clinical guidelines. Builds critical appraisal skills relevant to navigator decision support.

Lesson 3 • Screening and Preventive Care Coordination

Covers evidence-based screening schedules and navigator roles in closing preventive care gaps. Connects prevention coordination to population health outcomes.

Lesson 4 • Supporting Clinical Trial Participation

Introduces navigator responsibilities in clinical trial education, enrollment support, and retention. Addresses patient concerns and informed consent in research contexts.

Lesson 1 • Defining and Measuring Navigation Outcomes

Identifies process, outcome, and patient experience metrics specific to navigation programs. Teaches metric selection aligned with program goals.

Lesson 2 • Analyzing and Reporting Navigation Data

Teaches basic data analysis, visualization, and stakeholder reporting for navigation programs. Enables navigators to communicate program value to leadership.

Lesson 3 • Implementing and Sustaining Improvements

Guides navigators through change implementation, staff engagement, and sustainability planning. Closes the QI cycle with real-world program examples.

Lesson 4 • Quality Improvement Frameworks in Navigation

Introduces Plan-Do-Study-Act and Lean principles applied to navigation workflows. Establishes QI literacy as a core navigator competency.

Lesson 1 • Sustaining Program Growth and Innovation

Addresses grant funding, partnership development, and technology adoption for program sustainability. Positions navigation programs for long-term organizational value.

Lesson 2 • Program Design and Workflow Development

Guides systematic design of navigation workflows, staffing models, and patient intake processes. Applies process mapping to optimize program efficiency.

Lesson 3 • Leading and Mentoring Navigation Teams

Develops leadership skills for supervising, coaching, and developing navigation staff. Addresses performance management and team resilience.

Lesson 4 • Policy Advocacy and Organizational Influence

Equips navigators to advocate for policy changes that support patient access and navigation funding. Connects individual practice to systemic health equity goals.