The job of nurse navigators is to help patients focus on getting well. They can provide in-depth information about breast cancer; they are there for the patient if she needs someone to call the doctor or to go see the doctor with her; and they’ll help get her through the difficult side effects of surgery and treatment.
Denise Steuber is a nurse navigator and certified fit specialist in Asheville, NC, who has worked with patients in every stage of the breast cancer journey. She may meet a woman for the first time right after her diagnosis, in the heart of her treatment schedule, or months after she’s recovered from surgery and is being fitted for a new bra.
Returning to work is naturally a part of many women’s journeys. “Of course, every situation is different,” Denise says. “We see women who are all different ages; some are retired, and some are in their twenties or thirties and in the midst of careers. Some women can take time off work while others, obviously, work as much as they can right through the whole ordeal. One of the first things I always ask is, ‘Does she have a job?’ But initially, the issue of work isn’t really on the patient’s mind. She needs help getting this taken care of, getting well, before she can process what it means for her job.”
Most times, doctors are very clear to advise breast cancer patients about when they can return to work, and they write specific instructions that should be given to the patient’s employer. “We always find out,” Denise explains, “if they work in a factory doing repetitive movement, or doing heavy lifting. It’s one of my jobs to counsel them that they’ll need to go on light duty for a while. The key here is talking to them about staying safe. For the woman whose job is with a small family-owned business, for example, other people will pitch in and the patient will get pampered. But everyone in this situation needs to be pampered.”
Fortunately, Denise has never had a patient whose employer wasn’t supportive. She advises the women she sees early to talk to their Human Resources departments and bosses as soon as possible, to make plans. “The other thing I always say is, ‘Try not to go back to work until you really have to.’ They need time to heal -- more than just physically.”