Plenary Sessions
Plenary 2: INTEGRATE | Navigation, Informal Care, and Rethinking “Standard” Cancer Pathways
Cancer pathways are often complex, fragmented, and difficult to navigate, with nurses, carers, and families doing much of the unseen work to keep care connected. This plenary explores what integration truly looks like in practice and why navigation must be recognised as core cancer care, not an optional add-on.
The session will include an update on the National Cancer Navigation Service Project, highlighting national efforts to improve consistency, equity, and access to navigation across Australia. This provides important context for cancer nurses, acknowledging navigation as essential infrastructure and recognising the central role nurses already play in coordinating care across settings and services.
A panel discussion will then examine the role of informal care within cancer pathways, exploring how carers and families are relied upon but rarely designed for, and the impact this has on patients and the workforce. The plenary concludes with a system-level reflection on where “standard” cancer pathways fall short, reinforcing the need for intentionally designed, nurse-led models that support integrated, person-centred care.
This session invites cancer nurses to reflect, challenge assumptions, and engage in shaping cancer pathways that better reflect the realities of care delivery and patient experience.