1. Running Head: EMPLOYMENT PLAN FOR BREAST CANCER NAVIGATION 1
Case Study #2
Employment Plan for Breast Cancer Navigation
HCS 410 Community Health Organization and Administration
Dr. Scott Ballantyne
Megan Serafin

2. EMPLOYMENT PLAN FOR BREAST CANCER NAVIGATION 2
Breast Cancer Navigation is a new and upcoming position in most healthcare facilities.
This position is directed toward helping support and guide newly diagnosed breast cancer
patients as well as their loved ones through diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. Lisa Spencer, the
Breast Cancer Navigator at St. Joseph’s Hospital Cancer Center says, “Having a Breast Cancer
Navigator available to assist throughout the process can dramatically improve patients’ chances
of receiving the best possible care.” (personal communication, 2014) The main goal of a Breast
Cancer Navigator is to assure the patient that “the patient will receive timely, quality treatment
for their breast health issues.” (L. Spencer, personal communication, October 3, 2014) Just to
name a few of the services the Breast Cancer Navigator, they will assist the patient in finding
information to make decisions regarding treatment options, answer any questions the patient
might have, organize appointments with physicians and other care providers, refer the patient to
the Multidisciplinary Breast Care Clinic as well as the Cancer Risk Evaluations Program, and
identify sources that could be of financial support, as well as several other services.
Attached I have the job description for Breast Cancer Navigation. It is very involved and
complicated. The job summary at the beginning explains what exactly this position entails most
clearly. The rest of the job description is a performance evaluation. The person applying for the
position or the person who is in the position at the moment has to be evaluated every so often to
make sure they are maintaining their duties.
Since this position is so new, it is hard to find a lot of statistical support. It was very
tough to find job openings specifically for Breast Cancer Navigation. There were openings for
Nurse Navigation but not for Breast Cancer Navigation. However, I have found the salary
ranges from about $47,000 to $60,000. This salary really depends on where the job is and what
facility and also depends on the employee’s credentials and experience. These qualifications

3. EMPLOYMENT PLAN FOR BREAST CANCER NAVIGATION 2
include, but are not limited to, having a current license, 3 plus years of experience in oncology
with a certification within oncology, and experience working with breast cancer patients. These
qualifications are all listed in the job description.
If I would want to apply for the Breast Cancer Navigation after I graduate, if one opens
up, I would not be considered for the position right away. Although I will have a degree in
Healthcare Science and minors in psychology and communication, it is not enough to be
considered. My academic plan would need to include additional education by going for my
Masters Degree or pick up another Bachelors Degree in something such as nursing, counseling,
or social work. According to Lisa, classes such as medical terminology or any class medically
related, a class in population health, and a class in ethics would be very beneficial for me. It
would allow me to get a feel of the specific roles the Navigator plays in their daily job. I should
also consider additional internships in other areas of the hospital such as in management, or
administration. Although this particular step is not required, it would definitely help to get my
foot in the door and meet possible future employers. There is a program in New York that is
designed to train students, such as myself, to become a patient navigator. This program is called
Harold P. Freeman Patient Navigation Institute. It lasts for two days and provides each student
with a more concrete understanding of what a patient navigator does. “The concept of patient
navigation was founded and pioneered by Harold P. Freeman in 1990 for the purpose of
eliminating barriers to timely cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care. It has
since evolved to include the timely movement of an individual across the entire health care
continuum from prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, and supportive, to end-of-life care.”
(Harold P. Freeman Patient Navigation, 2014) According to Harold P. Freeman, this program
will offer “practical experience and reflects on a combination of extensive, best practice research

4. EMPLOYMENT PLAN FOR BREAST CANCER NAVIGATION 2
and information.” (2014) From reading and researching this program, it seems as though it is the
best opportunity to build a strong foundation for the type of work I want to one day be involved
in. The program will not only teach me certain concepts but also provide me with knowledge on
how to interact with patients who are going through a hard time with their health.
Navigation, of any specialty, does not have a mature career path since it is a new role. It
is just recently healthcare facilities have offered this position to the public. Before now, it was a
position that navigators or advocates kind of started themselves. Now that it is becoming a more
popular field in the healthcare, most facilities have adopted it. There aren’t many set jobs that
come before becoming a Breast Cancer Navigator. There are possibilities that could one day land
you that job though. For instance, a patient advocate or patient navigator would be a good start
but the only drawback to those positions is they for the most part, require a degree in nursing.
There are also possibilities in volunteer work. Lisa told me that many advocates start out
volunteering at a non-profit organization talking with cancer patients and advocating for them on
a more personal level rather than a professional level. Both of these options will allow me to be a
general advocate for any person. It is a start to specialize in Breast Cancer Navigation. When I
graduate I will hopefully land a position in the cancer center helping out wherever I can. Within
five years, I hope to become part of a larger scale organization that helps cancer patients cope
with their disease. Breast Cancer Navigation may take longer than five years to achieve but it is
definitely somewhere in my future.
Breast Cancer Navigation is a very fast growing position. It not only takes years of
schooling and extra classes to achieve it, it takes personal experience and knowledge as well.
Being a BCN is something that I have wanted to do for several years now. Lisa Spencer is a great
role model for anyone interested in this field or any healthcare field involving cancer. When I

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started observing her about seven months ago, it really hit home that that was exactly what I
want to do with my future. Breast Cancer Navigation is going to be a very popular profession in
the next few years and will continue to grow and improve its system.

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Works Sited
Harold P. Freeman Patient Navigation Institute (2014) The gold standard. Retrieved from:
http://www.hpfreemanpni.org/ourmodel/?PHPSESSID=ab9cb67214483921e82270cde52
b0779
L. Spencer, personal communication, October 3, 2014