The role of the nurse-examiner in the National Breast Screening Study

The National Breast Screening Study employed 75 nurse-examiners in 12 screening centres across Canada who screened 67,740 women, some of whom received up to 5 annual screening examinations. 17 nurses each performed more than 5,000 physical examinations of the breast, 38 performed 1,000-4,999 and 20 performed less than 1,000. The nurses' accomplishments were impressive: they taught women how to perform breast self-examination and collected data evaluating BSE compliance, they alleviated anxiety in frightened women, they transmitted and explained clinical information to women who had abnormal screening examinations and they enhanced communication between the NBSS and the family physicians. The excellence of their physical examinations is reflected by a sensitivity of 77-83% for all but one screen years in women age 50-59 assigned to physical examination as a single screening modality and by the cancer detection rates which were achieved. Consequently, we recommend that in the future nurse-examiners should be employed in breast screening centres.