Prostate cancer screening: getting your patients to follow-up

Nurses have the clinical knowledge and organizational ability to carry out a quality prostate cancer screening program. In addition, nurses possess the communication and patient education skills necessary for effective follow-up. With the dramatic increase in prostate screening programs, nurses are likely to be among the leaders in this effort. Motivating patients to follow up when they have an abnormal DRE or serum PSA can increase the early detection of prostate cancer and potentially cure the disease. After all, this is the primary purpose of the screening.