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Nurses self-performing and teaching others breast self-examination: implications for advanced practice nurses.
1Cherry Street Senior Health Center of Gulf Coast Medical Center, Panama City. sdevine@digitalexp.net
Clinical Excellence for Nurse Practitioners : the International Journal of NPACE
|March 23, 2001
Summary
Nurses recognize breast self-examination (BSE) importance but underutilize it. While most nurses teach BSE, many do so infrequently, highlighting a need for enhanced nursing education and practice to improve breast cancer early detection.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Preventive Medicine
- Nursing Practice
Background:
- Breast self-examination (BSE) is a key strategy for early breast cancer detection.
- Despite evidence, consistent practice and teaching of BSE remain suboptimal among healthcare professionals.
- Understanding nurses' personal behaviors and professional practices regarding BSE is crucial for improving public health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the personal BSE behaviors of nurses and student nurses.
- To examine the professional practices of nurses in teaching BSE to patients.
- To discuss the implications for advanced practice nurses (APNs) in promoting BSE.
Main Methods:
- A survey was conducted with a sample of 300 nurses and student nurses.
- Data were collected on the frequency of BSE performance and teaching practices.
- Qualitative reasons for infrequent teaching were explored.
Main Results:
- Nearly all nurses reported performing BSE at least once, but less than half practiced it monthly.
- A majority of nurses believed teaching BSE was their role, yet only a minority taught it regularly.
- Key barriers to teaching BSE included forgetfulness and lack of knowledge regarding when or how to teach.
Conclusions:
- Nurses' personal BSE performance is inconsistent, impacting their role as educators.
- There is a significant gap between the perceived importance of teaching BSE and its actual implementation.
- Advanced practice nurses can play a vital role in enhancing BSE education and practice through various professional roles.