Nurse Practitioner Student Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Skin Cancer Assessments

Abstract

Early detection and treatment of skin cancer is directly related to patient outcomes. However, little is known about how prepared nurse practitioner students are to assess and manage skin lesions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess nurse practitioner student knowledge to determine how well they are being prepared to perform skin cancer assessments. This exploratory, descriptive study surveyed 20 nurse practitioner students about their knowledge, attitudes, and confidence in identifying different skin lesions. Most participants had average knowledge scores related to general skin cancer knowledge (6.4/13 correct) and photo lesion identification (9.65/20 correct). Most students felt they lacked enough dermatology training to prepare them for practice. Most students did not feel confident performing skin cancer assessments, had a hard time differentiating between benign and malignant lesions, and would rather refer patients to a specialist for diagnosis. Nurse practitioner curricula should consider allotting more time for dermatology topics, especially learning to recognize whether a lesion is benign or malignant.

Dermatologic simulations in nurse practitioner education: Improving skin cancer knowledge, confidence, and performance

“…Yet, few studies have focused on preparing NP students for detecting cancerous skin lesions (Woodmansee et al, 2018). A recent descriptive study of 20 NP students from various specialty concentrations revealed insufficient knowledge of skin cancer (mean subscale score 6.40 out of possible 13.00 points) and of lesion identification (mean subscale score 9.65 out of possible 20.00 points) (Woodmansee et al, 2018). Further, 70% of the NP student participants reported that they had not received enough dermatology training to feel prepared for practice, and 90% were not confident to perform skin assessments.…”

“…Further, 70% of the NP student participants reported that they had not received enough dermatology training to feel prepared for practice, and 90% were not confident to perform skin assessments. The majority (90%) reported feeling afraid that they would miss detecting a patient's skin cancer (Woodmansee et al, 2018). Lack of knowledge about skin cancer assessments has also been found to persist after graduation, and a survey of 272 practicing NPs found that 84.2% desired for more education on melanoma (Roebuck et al, 2015).…”

“…Although skin cancer is most commonly diagnosed in primary care settings, nurse practitioners (NPs) in all settings should be prepared to detect cancerous skin lesions and educate patients on prevention. Preparing NPs to detect skin cancer is crucial for enhancing early detection and improving patient outcomes; thus, it is vital for NP curricula to provide a proper foundation for the practice of assessing skin lesions and diagnosing and treating skin cancer (Lucas et al, 2016; Woodmansee et al, 2018). Currently, there are no set standards for dermatologic education in NP programs (Shelby, 2014), and previous studies have illustrated the lack of dermatologic education in graduate programs (Lucas et al, 2016; Woodmansee et al, 2018).…”

“…Preparing NPs to detect skin cancer is crucial for enhancing early detection and improving patient outcomes; thus, it is vital for NP curricula to provide a proper foundation for the practice of assessing skin lesions and diagnosing and treating skin cancer (Lucas et al, 2016; Woodmansee et al, 2018). Currently, there are no set standards for dermatologic education in NP programs (Shelby, 2014), and previous studies have illustrated the lack of dermatologic education in graduate programs (Lucas et al, 2016; Woodmansee et al, 2018). Because NP students' clinical experiences vary and exposure to patients with skin lesions cannot be guaranteed, simulation may be a strategy to ensure all NP students have essential experiential practice caring for patients with skin lesions.…”

Skin Cancer in People of Color

“…To ensure nurses and nurse practitioners are prepared to improve skin cancer awareness and outcomes, universities should incorporate more skin cancer education into undergraduate and graduate curricula (Woodmansee et al, 2018). In undergraduate and graduate nursing programs, education regarding skin assessments, recognition of atypical lesions, and prevention strategies should be emphasized (Shue-McGuffin & Powers, 2022).…”