Soft Skills: The Work of Communication and Persuasion Among Nurse Navigators in Hospital at Home Programs

Abstract

Objective: To assess the role of soft skills in the work of Hospital at Home (HaH) nurse navigators.

Background: In HaH programs that employ them, nurse navigators are often responsible for identifying, assessing, referring, and educating potential HaH patients. The experiences of these navigators have gone understudied.

Methods: Researchers conducted semistructured interviews and observations with nurse navigators (n = 7) who collectively cover 14 North Carolina-based HaH sites. Navigators were asked to keep diaries of responses to directed questions.

Results: In their capacity as navigators, interviewees said they served several roles: intermediaries between hospital and HaH staff, interpreters of clinical knowledge for patients, and champions of, and educators for, the home-based program. The navigators noted that the interpersonal soft skills of building rapport, clear communication, and gentle persuasion were of the utmost importance in this work.

Conclusions: The job descriptions of nurse navigators in HaH programs should fully reflect the breadth of their responsibilities, including time performing soft skilled labor. Also, training for these roles should include techniques to develop and refine these skills.