Contributing Role of the Nurse in Breast Cancer Prevention // Приносна роля на медицинската сестра в превенцията на карцинома на гърдата

[EN] Aim of the study: To analyze health knowledge and behavior of women and to investigate the contributing role of the nurse in the prevention of carcinoma of the breast against the backdrop of modern epidemiological trends and current best practices applied for breast cancer prevention in the world and mainly in Europe. Basic research thesis: There are some outstanding issues requiring professionalization of the nurse to combat malignant diseases within the ongoing breast cancer prevention in Bulgaria. To achieve the objective we set ourselves the following tasks: 1. To investigate the prevalence of breast cancer among female respondents aged 20-65, from Varna, Shumen, Dobrich and Silistra. 2. To investigate international experience in screening and prevention of breast cancer and to assess the situation in the analyzed regions. 3. To explore health knowledge and behavior of women in conducting the prevention of breast cancer and outline the role of the nurse in this area. 4. To analyze the willingness of nurses to actively participate in breast cancer prevention. 5. To set out the key issues in breast cancer prevention based on which to propose a "model for training of women and control of ongoing breast cancer prevention." 6. To propose the introduction of elective courses and / or an optional course in the training of nurses in degree "Bachelor" and "Master" related to the prevention of breast cancer or detecting MA. The study involved 1102 women aged 20-65 years, 260 nurses working in different areas of hospital and outpatient care and 111 experts including doctors, generalists and specialists in the field of oncology and Oncological Surgery, chief and senior nurses and Health Care lecturers from. Four districts - Varna, Dobrich, Silistra and Shumen are featured. The study covers the period from January 2013 till March 2015. Sociological and statistical methods used: Sociological methods: Documentary method: a) International documents and programs for the prevention of breast cancer of the European Commission, European Parliament and others were analyzed; b) Legal documents regulating health activities related to breast cancer in Bulgaria. Questionnaire method: Ad hoc toolkit for conducting the study in three groups of respondents was developed: women aged 20 to 65 years; nurses and experts. Statistical methods: Variance analysis; Correlation analysis; Parametric and nonparametric tests for the evaluation of hypotheses. Available scientific publications were scrutinized; analysis of socio-demographic characteristics of the studied regions was conducted; prevention and screening tests in the studied regions were assessed; health awareness of cancer breast cancer prevention was evaluated; risk factors and female behavior as a base factor for highlighting the role of the nurse were researched. The analysis of key issues in breast cancer prevention structures the basis for developing a “Model for Training of Women and Control of the Ongoing Breast Carcinoma Prevention”. An exemplary model for training of women and control of ongoing prevention of breast cancer (Annex to personal ambulatory card for women aged 20 to 69 years) is presented. The educational aspects to enhance the contributing role of the nurse in the prevention of breast cancer are reviewed and analyzed: 1. Assessment of nurses’ training for future active involvement in programs for breast cancer prevention. 2. Outlined is the need to enhance nurses’ training in Bachelor’s and Master’s educational degrees by introducing elective courses and / or optional training course. 3. A Master’s Program related to care for malignant diseases to be launched is suggested. The following conclusions are outlined: 1. Participation of women in the ongoing breast cancer prevention is unsatisfactory (only 47.50%). Low participation particularly of young women (up to 46 years of age) necessitates schooling of health knowledge and skills for coping with breast cancer from young age. Educated women and urban residents more often participate in the ongoing breast cancer prevention programs due to better awareness and confidence in their benefits. 2. Respondent nurses are firmly convinced (84.60%) that the start-up of mobile units carrying out breast cancer prevention initiatives in rural areas will overcome some of the problems of prevention in small towns. 3. The difficulties in participating in breast cancer prevention initiatives faced by many women (49.60%) are due mainly to low awareness and poor organization of medical check-ups. Hence, the proposed “Model for Training of Women and Control of the Ongoing Breast Cancer Prevention” would facilitate women and increase their participation in the prevention of breast cancer. 4. Only 59.20 percent of women did self-examination of their breast, which signals the need for the implementation of health knowledge and habits among women given the importance of this method for early detection of breast cancer. Our suggested “Model for Training of Women and Control of the Ongoing Breast Cancer Prevention” would promote increased application of self-examination. 5. Just over half of female respondents (57.50%) know the risk factors pertaining to breast cancer. This requires promotion and schooling about the harmful effects of many factors on women's health. 6. Participation of nurses in the ongoing screening programs for breast cancer is relatively low. A total of 88.90% of nurses believe that if women are well informed and trained it would have a positive effect on the prevention of breast cancer. It is in this particular aspect where female respondents see nurse’s role - training, information, giving directions and arranging ongoing prophylactics for breast cancer prevention. 7. Curricula analysis for "Nurse" and "Health Care Management" special training courses indicates inadequate training in cancer care in all degrees which requires additional training of practitioners. 8. More than half (55.00%) of nurses believe that the acquisition of Master’s degree in "Cancer care" would increase their opportunities for active involvement in prevention, diagnosis and care of malignancy. 9. Inauguration of Master’s in "Cancer care" in nursing is supported by a total of 90.90% of the experts. 70.60% of them express the opinion that modern oncology practice requires highly skilled nurses as full members of the multidisciplinary team in the fight against breast cancer. Recommendations to respective institutions such as the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and the Medical Universities are made available.

Authors dc:creator

• Eguruze, Katya
• Егурузе, Катя

• breast cancer
• prevention
• nurse
• screening
• health knowledge
• cancer care
• Здравни грижи / Auxiliary health care, Nursing

Repository record dc:identifier

http://repository.mu-varna.bg/handle/nls/195

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.mu-varna.bg:nls/195