Background: With the availability of genetic testing for cancer, a variety of health professionals are needed to counsel individuals seeking cancer risk information. To address the educational needs of oncology nurses, a training course in familial cancer risk assessment and counseling was developed at Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Methods: Four training sessions were conducted with 164 nurses. Knowledge was assessed from pretest to posttest using Wilcoxon's signed-rank test. Comparison of practice in cancer risk assessment (CRA) was measured at baseline and six months with McNemar's procedures.
Results: There was statistically significant improvement in knowledge from pre to post test. There was self-reported improvement in collecting family histories and assessing cancer risk. Those reporting current practice in risk assessment post-training were more likely to collect required family history information and had greater confidence in skills.
Conclusions: With education and opportunity to practice, nurses can play key roles in CRA.