Improving skin cancer knowledge among nurse practitioners

Abstract

Background The surgeon general states that skin cancer is a key public health problem. Skin cancer is highly preventable; however, it is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States. Purpose The purpose of this scholarly project was to increase the skin cancer knowledge and lesion identification among primary care nurse practitioners. Methods A descriptive survey using a convenience sample of current members of the Nebraska Nurse Practitioners Association was administered to determine baseline knowledge of skin cancer. This was followed by a 15-minute online educational program. A posttest was then administered. The data were collected using SurveyMonkey.com, and a pairwise comparison was completed. The program was available online for 9 weeks with one reminder at 4 weeks. This was approved by Creighton University Institutional Review Board as an exempt study. Results Approximately 350 surveys were distributed to members of Nebraska Nurse Practitioners via e-mail with 14 respondent; three completed only the pretest and one completed only the posttest. There were 10 who completed the entire program. Findings Ten of ten respondents improved their overall scores from pretest to posttest. A paired t test was used, and on average, subjects improved their scores by 25% (p