Care navigators help patients and families find their way through complex health systems. They remove barriers so treatment and support can happen.
Functions
Explaining processes, coordinating appointments, connecting resources, supporting communication and tracking follow-up.
Settings
Cancer centers, hospitals, community organizations, insurers and primary care practices.
Boundaries
Navigators do not make clinical decisions or give medical advice; they facilitate access to those who do.
Common mistake
Becoming the patient’s sole point of contact for everything. Navigators connect; they do not replace the team.
Key Takeaways
- Explaining processes, coordinating appointments, connecting resources, supporting communication and tracking follow-up.
- Cancer centers, hospitals, community organizations, insurers and primary care practices.
- Navigators do not make clinical decisions or give medical advice; they facilitate access to those who do.
Check Your Understanding
Before moving on, explain in your own words the most important point from “What a Care Navigator Does” and name one situation in your work or family where you would apply it, and who you would report to or ask if unsure.
Action Step
Write a job description for a serious illness navigator in one paragraph, including three things the role does and three it does not.
This course is educational only. It is not medical, nursing or legal advice, does not replace state-approved training programs, clinical supervision or employer policies, and does not issue any license, certification or credential. Scope of practice and training requirements vary by state; always follow the care plan, your supervisor’s direction and the current guidance of the licensed clinicians responsible for the person in your care. Navigators do not give medical, legal or financial advice; they help patients access professionals who do.