International Nursing and Breast Cancer

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and its incidence is increasing in most countries. Nurses involved in breast cancer care have an impact on early detection of breast cancer, treatment, and symptom management, and they serve as advocates for women with the disease. In many countries nurses are far more numerous than physicians, and nurses are in an ideal position to influence breast cancer care. The International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care (ISNCC) is an organization representing more than 50,000 oncology nurses in 25 countries. The society provides a communication network for national and regional cancer nursing societies and communication on developments in cancer nursing to nurses working in countries where a national cancer nursing group does not exist. The society also acts as a resource for nurses in practice, education, research, and management, and it serves as a link for other international, regional, national, and local organizations in promoting collaboration to achieve ISNCC's goals. In collaboration with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the society developed a 2-day "train-the-trainer" workshop for a selected group of cancer nurses from around the world. The workshop includes didactic presentations, skills instruction, and demonstrations that cover the continuum of breast cancer care. Participants have represented the countries of Brazil, Colombia, China, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Pakistan, Australia, Germany, South Africa, Greece, and India. They have subsequently developed educational programs for nurses and the public in their countries, started support groups, published educational materials on breast cancer, and participated in political activities. These advances indicate that despite challenges such as nursing shortages and a lack of resources, cancer nurses are making a difference internationally.

Breast Cancer Risks and Effectiveness of BSE Training among Women Living in a District of İstanbul

“…The impact of nurses is very important in issues such as early diagnosis, treatment, and symptom management of breast cancer (17). It is known that women in our country are at risk for breast cancer and metastatic spread due to lack of information.…”

Evaluation of the Breast Cancer Train the Trainer Program for Nurses in Turkey

“…The goals support the objectives of the TTT International Breast Health Programs projected by The International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care (ISNCC) [7,10,13].…”

An Evaluation of the Train the Trainer International Breast Health and Breast Cancer Education: Lessons Learned

“…7 Three TTT programs were held 2 days prior to the biennial meetings of ISNCC in 2000, 2002, and 2004.…”

“…4 Not surprisingly, breast health and breast cancer education is either nonexistent or highly inadequate in limited resource nations. [5][6][7] Few, if any, international programs for breast health and breast cancer education are available for health care professionals from developing nations. In this article, we report our efforts in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Train the Trainer (TTT) Breast Health Education Program, an innovative international program dedicated to educating nurses from around the world about breast health and breast cancer.…”

“…In this article, we report our efforts in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Train the Trainer (TTT) Breast Health Education Program, an innovative international program dedicated to educating nurses from around the world about breast health and breast cancer. [5][6][7] The aims of this article are to (a) describe the curriculum and program development of the TTT International Breast Health Education Program; (b) discuss the TTT program implementation and evaluation; and (c) explore the lessons learned in the design and implementation of a TTT approach for breast health education programs for nurses in limited resource nations.…”