Nurses' awareness and prevention of colorectal cancer

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer in the general public. CRC is a type of cancer which can affect both men and women and is thought to increase in the near future. Prevention of CRC would be fundamental to reduce its occurrence. Prevention includes primary and secondary prevention. Primary prevention involves the healthy population and refers to the avoidance of the development of polyps to form cancer. Secondary prevention involves screening tests in asymptomatic individuals to detect the presence of polyps. Several studies have been done about the awareness and prevention of CRC in the healthcare setting. The present study was done for the same purpose to identify interesting findings about this topic among Maltese nurses working in medical wards at Mater Dei hospital. Ten questionnaires were delivered in every medical ward. The total sample size consisted of sixty qualified nurses both males and females. However, forty-seven participants filled the questionnaire. The findings of each questionnaire were imputed in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to analyse and evaluate the data of the open and closed ended questions. The results of this study show that the nurses were knowledgeable about CRC. The participants were knowledgeable about the awareness and preventive measures of CRC. The majority of the participants agreed that there are certain risk factors which can contribute to CRC. Besides that, the participants were also knowledgeable about the screening tests which can be used to prevent and detect the presence of any malignancy. Almost all the participants give education to their patients about CRC. The most suggested educational programs by the participants were TV and radio. An important recommendation for education is that the participants should take into consideration the level of knowledge of their patients. This is to make sure that their patients acquire the appropriate knowledge about CRC. For this to work a screening program should be available and most importantly accessible to individuals for preventive measures and early detection. Further future research should be targeted for awareness, prevention and education of CR C.