Nurse Practitioners' Skin Cancer Prevention Counseling To Adolescents

Abstract

Background: Skin cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and one of the most preventable cancers. Despite prevention efforts, skin cancer incidence continues to rise among adolescents. This is especially a challenge for the state of Arizona, which has a high incidence of skin cancer. The inconsistent evidence-based practice guidelines for skin cancer prevention create challenges for counseling adolescents. The knowledge, attitudes, and practices of primary skin cancer prevention by nurse practitioners who care for adolescents is unknown in Arizona or elsewhere in the U.S. Purpose: This doctor of nursing practice project investigates knowledge, attitudes, and practices of skin cancer primary prevention by Arizona nurse practitioners caring for adolescents on an outpatient basis and determines congruency of their counseling with primary prevention guidelines. Methods: The design is descriptive cross-sectional. An online survey using Qualtrics software was distributed via professional listservs to eligible Arizona nurse practitioners currently in practice. Participants' knowledge of skin cancer, skin cancer prevention, and current practice guidelines and recommendations were assessed using multiple choice items. Participants' attitudes regarding counseling for skin cancer prevention within the adolescent population and current nurse practitioner behaviors, in relation to current practice guidelines, were measured using Likert-type scales. Outcomes: Thirty-nine nurse practitioners responded to the online survey. Participant overall knowledge regarding skin cancer was moderate to low, and less was known about skin cancer in adolescents. Despite participants' overall positive attitudes toward skin cancer prevention, they reported low rates of skin cancer prevention counseling for adolescents in practice. Skin cancer prevention recommendations, identified by participants as used in practice, were not congruent with established clinical guidelines on counseling for primary prevention of skin cancer in adolescents.