Position/Where:
Nurse Navigator at the Center for Advanced Pulmonary Medicine at Christian Hospital in St. Louis County, Mo. Nurse Navigators are patient educators and advocates who help coordinate care and direct patients through the complex health system. Nurse Navigators are often used when patients have a complicated diagnosis that requires numerous tests and appointments.
Career Highlights:
“My first position was at SLU hospital, where I worked for two years in the Medical Pulmonary Intensive Care Unit. Once I got my master’s I accepted a position at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center for the Department of Critical Care,” said LaPorte.
“I was there for four years and in my new nurse navigator role I’m at the opposite end of the spectrum. At St. John’s I worked in the ICU and step down unit, where I did procedures and a lot of direct patient care. While I am truly blessed for the vast amount of knowledge and experience that I gained, I felt as though a lot of times I wasn’t helping patients in a meaningful or fulfilling way. So when I heard of this new role of nurse navigator I knew it was my chance to really have an impact and truly help patients.
“I’m that point person for the patient and their family – the one person they can call no matter what is going on,” says LaPorte.
“I’m their advocate, educator, coordinator and available for emotional support. I schedule appointments, facilitate communication between patients and health care providers, assist with transportation, assist with prescription assistance, even escort them to appointments if necessary – whatever it takes to make it easier for the patient. Once the patient knows they have suspicious findings for lung cancer or receive a diagnosis of lung cancer, they typically don’t hear anything past the word ‘cancer.’ It’s so overwhelming and that’s where I step in to help.”
Certifications:
Acute care certification
Currently working on certification in oncology
Education:
Saint Louis University- bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in nursing
Personal: Married to her high school sweetheart, Dereck LaPorte. They have two sons, Dereck Jr., age 4 and Bevin, age 2. She and her family attend First Baptist Church in Creve Coeur.
St. Louis Connection:
LaPorte is a Florissant, Mo. native who graduated from McCluer High School
How did you get where you are:
“I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do when I first began college. My first major was psychology. I thought I wanted to be a child psychologist. As I went through my initial courses, I decided to change paths a little bit. I knew I wanted to help people and that’s how I ended up in the nursing field.
“I feel this is my calling,” says LaPorte, “and I’m going full force to get the word out about me and my purpose here at Christian Hospital. I want people to know what I’m doing so that all specialties can utilize me. If they have a lung cancer patient who needs my services they can call me and I can help that person through the process. It’s like a full-time job for these patients when they get diagnosed – they may be getting chemo or radiation Monday through Friday. Studies have shown that in the first year of a cancer diagnosis the patient will schedule an average of 100 appointments. That’s a lot to keep up with. This hospital is almost like their home and they really need somebody to help them along their journey.
I’m blessed to be able to be in this role.”