Flexible sigmoidoscopy by nurses: state of the art 1999

Although screening flexible sigmoidoscopy is associated with a significant decrease in colorectal cancer mortality, less than 50% of eligible Americans have had a sigmoidoscopy. As the United States population ages, over 50 million Americans will be eligible for colorectal cancer screening with flexible sigmoidoscopy. The projected increase in a population eligible for screening is expected to increase demand for this procedure and may result in overwhelming currently available endoscopic resources. Gastroenterology nurses should actively seek training to perform flexible sigmoidoscopy to accommodate this increased demand. Current barriers to nurse-performed sigmoidoscopy are prohibitions by state Boards of Nursing and lack of procedural reimbursement for nurse endoscopists performing flexible sigmoidoscopy. The lack of research about the effectiveness of this practice is a contributing factor to the hindrances in the development of this nursing role. This review outlines research about the effectiveness of flexible sigmoidoscopy by nurses, legal and reimbursement issues, and details the scope of training programs used by institutions with nurse endoscopists.