| dc.description.abstract | Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, yet only 67% of the eligible population have received screening. Preventative CRC screenings help to reduce mortality and allow CRC to be found at the pre-cancerous or early stages, when the disease is highly curable. The purpose of this clinical dissertation project was to determine whether providing an educational booth with informational handouts and informational PowerPoint set on loop for adults ages 18-75 in the rural community of Grafton, ND increased knowledge and intent regarding CRC screening, as well as assisted to better understand barriers to receiving CRC screening.
An educational booth with handouts and informational PowerPoint was presented to 28 voluntary participants, ages 18-75. Participants were from a convenience sample of eligible adults already attending a community event in a small-town setting in the rural community of Grafton, North Dakota. Post-survey results after the educational session were evaluated with descriptive statistics.
Sixty-four percent of participants (N=28; n=18) indicated increased knowledge on CRC and/or screening modalities. Eighteen participants determined that the educational intervention positively influenced their intent to be screened. Of the ten participants who indicated “no”, the educational intervention did not influence their intent to be screened, eight indicated they had already decided to be screened prior to the intervention. Fifty-three percent of participants (n=15) identified barriers of some form in receiving CRC screening and of these 15 participants, 13 indicated that due to the educational session, they were still likely to begin or continue CRC screening.
The co-investigator through the project implementation helped increase awareness of CRC and screening modalities, as well as positively impacted intent to receive CRC screening in Grafton, ND. This project helped illuminate barriers to receive screening, as well as positively influenced participants to choose to be screened despite identified barriers. Future projects should continue to focus on education to provide knowledge and address barriers. Nurse practitioners (NPs) are well suited to meet the needs of CRC education, identifying and alleviating barriers, as well as encouraging patients to receive CRC, all of which can reduce CRC morbidity and mortality. | en_US |
