Patient Navigator Characteristics
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This page outlines the skills, traits, and training required for Patient Navigators supporting individuals with Long COVID.
Required Skills
Interpersonal & Communication Skills
- Active listening and clear verbal communication
- Use of plain language
- Ability to build trust with diverse patient personalities
- Strong emotional intelligence and expectation management
Technical & System Navigation Skills
- Strong understanding of healthcare systems and community supports
- Advocacy skills and system awareness
- Digital literacy, including virtual care platforms
Clinical Awareness
- Knowledge of chronic conditions, especially Long COVID
- Understanding of Post‑Exertional Malaise (PEM) and CFS
- Experience guiding self‑management practices
Professionalism
- Ability to set realistic goals and clear boundaries
- Persistent follow‑up and accountability
- Capacity to identify and communicate gaps in care
Core Traits
- Empathetic, kind, and compassionate
- Calm, reassuring presence
- Patient, understanding, and respectful
- Persistent yet respectful
- Motivational and uplifting
- Flexible and adaptable to each patient’s changing needs
- Confident in uncertainty (“I don’t know, but I’ll find out”)
- Honest and realistic without being discouraging
- Firm but fair in boundary‑setting
Required Training
- Long COVID education
- Chronic illness management (PEM / CFS)
- Mental health and trauma‑informed care
- Professional communication and body language
- Customer service / service excellence training
- Mentorship, shadowing, and team‑based learning
- Ongoing professional development
Additional Considerations
- Lived experience with Long COVID
- Balance of virtual delivery with in‑person connection