UPDATE. Got help on that problem in StackOverflow http://stackoverflow.com/questions/32059445/struggling-with-asynchronous-nature-of-angularjs-javascript so that solution works. I don't like it as I had to add code to controller instead of using directive and the same approach as other forms are using.

I almost got it to work based on your earlier suggestion of adding a watch.

Right now I have the following code:

var testNavigation = function()
            {                
                if ($scope.selections.somethingChanged) {
                    
                    var modal = $modal.open({
                        controller: function ($scope) {
                            $scope.okClass = 'btn-primary',
                            $scope.okLabel = resourceFactory.getResource('Labels', 'yes'),
                            $scope.cancelLabel = resourceFactory.getResource('Labels', 'cancel'),
                            $scope.title = resourceFactory.getResource('Labels', 'unsavedChanges'),
                            $scope.message = resourceFactory.getResource('Messages', 'unsavedChanges');
                        },
                        templateUrl: '/app/templates/modal'
                    });

                    modal.result.then(function () {
                        
                        $scope.selections.somethingChanged = false;
                        return false;
                        
                    });
                }
                
            }

            $scope.loadView = function (guest) {
                testNavigation();
                if ($scope.selections.somethingChanged)
                {
                    return false;
                }

              more code here

The problem is that the execution is not sequential, e.g. it passes testNavigation, goes down to return false and after that I see my modal dialog. So, even if I answer 'Yes' on that question my new row is not loaded. So, I am now dealing with the asynchronous nature of the code. I am very close, can you see what I need to change in the above to make it work?

Thanks again.