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Nurses as Agents for Change in Teaching Breast Self‐examination
Author(s) -
Shamian Judith,
Edgar Linda
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
public health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.471
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1525-1446
pISSN - 0737-1209
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1446.1987.tb00508.x
Subject(s) - breast self examination , medicine , family medicine , demographics , breast cancer , test (biology) , nursing , cancer , paleontology , demography , sociology , biology
The purpose of this quasi experimental, one‐group pretest‐post‐test study was to determine the role of the nurses as agents for change in teaching breast self‐examination (BSE) to healthy women in the community. The goals were to promote women's factual and proficiency knowledge in the areas of (1) signs and symptoms of breast cancer, (2) proper steps of BSE, and (3) frequency of BSE. Data were collected over four years in a large university teaching hospital. The sample was made up of 223 women. Teaching was provided by nurse clinicians. A 21‐item written questionnaire was administered to all subjects three times: before BSE education session (treatment), immediately after education, and six months later. The questionnaire included four subscales: demographics, factual knowledge regarding signs and symptoms of breast cancer, proficiency of BSE practice, and frequency of BSE. Findings indicated that nurses influence positively the factual and proficiency knowledge base of clients and the frequency of BSE practice. Based on these findings and those of previous studies, the authors believe that nurses can be agents for change in promoting BSE.