What are the boundaries navigators must maintain?

Maintaining boundaries as a patient navigator is crucial for ensuring professionalism and effective support. By avoiding personal involvement, navigators can focus on the patient’s needs without letting their own emotions, biases, or personal connections interfere with the guidance and resources they offer. This professional distance helps maintain an objective perspective, allowing navigators to provide clear, unbiased information and support to their patients.

In many healthcare settings, it is important for navigators to foster a therapeutic relationship that is grounded in respect and professionalism. Personal involvement could lead to conflicts of interest or emotional strain that detracts from the primary goal of helping patients navigate their healthcare journeys. Thus, maintaining this boundary is essential for the integrity of the healthcare process and for the well-being of both the patient and the navigator.