New patients entering treatment for breast cancer in the University of Colorado Anschutz Department of Surgery can quickly become overwhelmed by all the new information they receive regarding chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, and more.
Fortunately, they have someone there to help them make sense of it all: breast cancer nurse navigator Jane Jachowicz, BSN RN, CBCN, CN-BN, who recently was named the 2026 Certified Breast Care Nurse of the Year by the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation.
“We answer their questions and talk about what the next steps are,” Jachowicz says. “We support them mentally and emotionally: ‘What can we do to make this visit the most effective? Is there anything we should be aware of?’ Then when they come in through the multidisciplinary clinic, we're always the last appointment, so we can review how their day went. Do they have any questions? Did it make sense? We make sure that they're doing OK, because sometimes that's the moment they just break down.”
That’s why Jachowicz knows it’s important to use the right words when talking to someone who has just been diagnosed.
“When people are scared, I like to empower them with clear communication,” she says. “I say, ‘You have breast cancer, and we have options to get you through this.’ It might bring them closer to their family. It might bring them back to church. Things might actually turn out to be better than where they’re at.”
Jachowicz has worked as a breast care nurse navigator for 28 years, nearly eight of them at UCHealth University of Colorado, a partner hospital of the CU Department of Surgery. Her favorite part of the job, she says, is educating patients to make cancer treatment less scary.
“The first question everybody asks, is ‘Am I going to die from this?’ The second question is, ‘How long is all this going to take?’” she says. “Usually my answer is, ‘Have you been pregnant? If so, you were pregnant for longer than this will take.’ Longest-case scenario, it's under a year.”
Jachowicz will talk through pathology, imaging, and possible treatment options based on the patient’s cancer presentation.
“If the first time they hear the word ‘mastectomy’ or ‘chemotherapy’ is when they come in to meet with the doctor, then they're not going to hear anything else,” she says. “I tell them chemotherapy will be a discussion when they come in, based on multiple factors. I want them to have the foundation so that when they come in, they can actually hear and comprehend. Outcomes are better when people feel they have more control and understand the plan.”
After their initial intake, some patients continue to use Jachowicz as a resource, while others may have their own support systems to get them through the day-to-day of breast cancer treatment.
“I still check in with them; I still make it a point to say happy birthday,” she says. “When they come in to see the doctor, or go down to radiation, whatever the case be, I like to go say hi. The hard part about breast cancer is the fear of recurrence — you don't really lose your patients. They keep coming back, or they know somebody else who gets diagnosed, their sister or somebody on their street. It just keeps going. The volume of breast is quite large compared to other cancers.”
CU Surgery faculty member Sarah Tevis, MD, associate professor of surgical oncology, nominated Jachowicz for the ONCC award, which Jachowicz will receive at the ONCC Recognition Breakfast in May.
“It motivates me to keep going,” Jachowicz says of the award. “It's an acknowledgement of my hard work, but it also is reflective of how much I've put in and how far I've come.”